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GENEALOGY  COLLECTION 


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DORCHESTER  NECK. 


(NOW  SOUTH  BOSTON.) 


The  Raid  of  British  Troops, 
february  13,  1776. 

Repi-iuted  from  the  New-England  Historical  and  Genealogical  Register, 
April,  1899. 


WITH   AM   ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

FIRST  SETTLEMENTS  AT  THE  NECK, 

I 

And  Various  iMiscellaneous  Notes. 


BY 

FRANCIS  E.  BLAKE. 


BOSTON ; 
PRESS  OF  DAVID  CLAPP  &  SON. 
18  9  9 


PREFATORY  NOTE. 


My  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  early  history  of  Dor- 
chester Neck  arises  from  the  fact  that  my  ancestor,  WiUiam  Blake, 
shared  in  the  division  of  lands  at  the  Neck  in  1637,  that  his  grand- 
son built  a  house  at  the  extreme  easterly  end  as  early  as  1680,  and 
down  to  within  a  very  few  years  the  family  has  been  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  place.  At  one  time  more  than  one  seventh  of  the 
whole  peninsula  was  owned  in  the  Blake  family. 

Inheriting  a  taste  for  historical  and  genealogical  research,  I  com- 
menced many  years  since  to  preserve  every  record  relating  to  the 
Neck  which  I  found,  having  a  somewhat  undefined  plan  of  pub- 
lishing a  history  of  South  Boston.       13544 '^S 

An  attempt  was  made  with  considerable  success^locate  all  the 
early  grants  of  land  and  to  prepare  plans  showing  the  lots,  the 
roads,  the  dwellings  and  various  topographical  features.  Besides 
this,  a  large  amount  of  other  material  was  gathered  together  for 
future  use. 

But  through  the  removal  of  many  of  the  older  families,  the 
changes  in  the  character  of  its  population  and  its  closer  connection 
with  the  city  proper.  South  Boston  has  practically  lost  its  identity 
as  a  distinct  locality,  and  there  is  comparatively  little  local  interest 
in  subjects  which  relate  to  the  early  days. 

The  publication  of  my  notes  upon  the  British  Raid  in  the  Re(jlster 
led  me  to  the  decision  to  print  a  portion  of  my  collections  long  ago 
put  aside,  with  the  hope  that  if  not  of  great  historical  value  they 
might  prove  of  some  interest  to  certain  families  formerly  identified 
with  Dorchester  Neck  and  South  Boston.  This  statement  will  ac- 
count for  the  fragmentary  character  of  this  publication. 

FRANCIS  E.  BLAKE. 


CONTENTS. 


The  British  Raid,  February,  1776    3 

Dwelling  Houses  Burned   10 

Damages  by  Troops   .13 

Map  of  Dorchester  Neck,  1725      .       .       .       .       .  .17 

Early  Settlements  at  the  Neck   19 

Foster              Family   19 

Wiswell               "   24 

Bird                     "   26 

Withington           "   29 

Mather-Jones        "                                                       .  33 

White-Wiswell     "   39 

Blake                   "   41 

Map  of  Blake  Estate,  1749    47 

Miscellaneous  Notes      ........  49 

Roads  on  the  Neck         ........  oO 

Topography  of  the  Neck    .       .       .       .      -  .       .       .  52 

Division  and  Supervision  of  the  Neck         .       .       .  .54 

Tax  Lists,  Estates  of  the  Neck   58 

Fortifications  at  the  Neck   .......  5!) 

Forts  on  Dorchester  Heights,  1815          .       .       .       .  61 

Maps  and  Plans  of  the  Neck   62 

Pelham's  Map,  1777    63 


THE  BRITISH  RAID  OX  DORCHESTER  NECK, 
FEBRUARY,  1776. 


In  the  early  days  of  the  occupation  of  Boston  by  British  troops, 
the  inhabitants  of  Dorcliester  Xeck,  now  South  Boston,  became 
aware  of  the  possible  danger  to  which  they  were  exposed  by  reason 
of  their  proximity  to  the  town  of  Boston  on  one  side  and  Castle 
William,  now  Fort  Independence,  on  the  other,  as  well  as  from  the 
fire  of  the  enemy's  ships  in  the  harbor. 

Their  isolation  from  the  main  settlement  of  Dorchester  was  much 
more  marked  than  the  present  surroundings  indicate.  Between  the 
j;wo  places  there  was  but  one  road  (the  "causeway"  which  the  tide 
often  flooded) ,  following  nearly  the  present  line  of  Boston  Street 
and  Dorchester  Street.  There  were  then  no  dwellins^s  on  the 
"  Little  Neck,"  that  now  populous  district  known  as  Washington 
Village. 

The  number  of  families  residing  on  the  Neck  (only  ten  or  twelve) 
was  not  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  make  much  resistance  to  ao- 
gressors,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  fear  for  their  own  safety 
induced  them  to  remove  to  Dorchester  where  they  might  feel 
reasonably  secure  from  danger.  They  took  with  them  the  greater 
part  of  their  household  goods  and  other  personal  property,  leaving 
in  some  cases,  small  quantities  of  hay  and  grain  and  articles  of  but 
little  value.  This  removal  took  place  in  the  year  1775,  probably 
in  the  summer  or  early  fall,  and  the  place  was  practically  deserted. 

The  nei^lect  of  the  British  o^eneral  to  take  possession  of  Dorches- 
ter  Heights  is  well  known  to  have  contributed  to  or  resulted  in  his 
abandonment  of  Boston,  and  brought  upon  him  the  severest  denuncia- 
tions in  England.  Aware  of  the  importance  of  holding  the  Heights, 
unwilling  for  some  reason  to  fortify  them  himself,  he  was  the  more 
unwilling  that  the  Americans  should  occupy  the  ground. 

In  the  American  camp  the  rumors  of  contemplated  movements  by 
General  Howe  and  the  various  expeditions  in  the  neigliborhood,  on 
land  and  on  sea,  served  to  stinudate  the  spirits  of  tlie  soldiers. 

The  plan  of  erecting  fortifications  upon  the  Heights  was  dis- 
cussed by  General  Washington  with  his  officers  but  not  fully 
decided  upon  until  about  the  first  of  March,  1776.  The  corres- 
pondence and  papers  relating  to  tliis  subject  and  the  effi3ct  of  the 
final  occupation,  both  in  America  and  in  England,  are  very  volu- 
minous and  form  a  very  interesting  story. 

The  affiiir  especially  referred  to  in  this  article  occurred  in  tlie 
early  morning  of  Wednesday,  the  14th  day  of  February,  1776, 


4 


when  a  large  body  of  British  troops  landed  upon  the  Neck,  in 
accordance  with  orders  given  by  General  Howe.  In  a  letter  to 
Lord  Dartmouth  the  general  gave  the  following  account  of  this 
affair  : 

"  It  being  ascertained  that  the  enemy  intended  to  take  possession  of 
Dorchester  Heights  or  Neck,  a  detachment  was  ordered  from  Castle 
WilHara  on  the  13th  of  February  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Colonel 
Leslie,  and  another  of  grenadiers  and  light  infantry  commanded  by  Major 
Musgrave,  with  directions  to  i:)ass  on  ice,  and  destroy  every  house  and 
every  kind  of  cover  on  that  peninsular, — which  was  executed,  and  six  of 
the  enemy's  guard  taken  prisoners." 

{Memorial  History  of  Boston,  Vol.  o,  page  94.) 

Whether  the  reason  here  given  by  General  Howe  was  the  true 
or  only  cause  of  this  action,  it  was  the  opinion  of  some  American 
officers  that  he  hoped  through  the  alarm  caused  by  this  movement 
of  his  troops  to  draw  from  the  main  army  at  Roxbury  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  could  without  fear  attack  the  remainder  and  force 
them  to  abandon  their  position. 

"  About  four  in  the  morning,  a  party  from  the  castle  under  Col.  Leslie 
joined  another,  amounting  to  about  five  hundred,  sent  over  the  ice  to  Dor- 
chester Neck  by  Gen.  Howe.  They  burnt  about  half  a  dozen  houses ;  but 
the  general's  scheme  failed.  He  had  been  up  the  whole  night,  getting 
ready  for  an  attack  with  a  large  body  of  troops.  He  expected,  that  the 
burning  of  the  houses  would  occasion  such  an  alarm,  as  to  put  the  Ameri- 
can officers  upon  sending  from  Roxbury  lines  a  large  reinforcement,  and 
thereby  giving  him  an  advantageous  opportunity  of  attacking  them  ;  but 
at  day  break,  he  found  their  men  as  usual  at  their  alarraposts,  so  that  he 
declined  it."  {Gordon,  Vol.  2,  page  188). 

The  clearest  statement,  however,  of  what  occurred  there  is  given 
in  Almonds  Mememhrancer  : 

"  Cambridge,  Feb.  22  ;  We  hear  from  Dorchester  that  about  four 
o'clock  last  Wednesday  a  large  party  of  ministerial  troops  were  discovered 
crossing  the  ice  on  Boston  Neck  to  Dorchester  Neck,  supposed  to  be  about 
a  thousand ;  the  centry  immediately  discharged  his  piece  at  them,  and  ran 
to  the  guard-house  to  inform  Captain  Barnes  (who  commanded  the  guard) 
who  had  already  taken  the  alarm  by  the  centries  firing  their  pieces  ;  and 
from  information  he  could  get  of  the  course  they  were  steering  judged 
their  design  was  to  cut  olf  the  retreat  of  the  guard,  which  consisted  only 
of  ()0  men. 

Captain  Barnes  immediately  marched  his  guard  off  the  neck  to  tlie 
edge  of  the  marsh,  and  just  escaped  them,  and  lest  the  guns  that  had  been 
fired  should  not  alarm  the  camp,  he  had  sent  off  several  messengers  ;  the 
enemy  marclicd  along  with  two  field  pieces,  and  posted  themselves  in  so 
advantageous  a  manner,  that  Capt.  Barnes  could  not  attack  them  with  the 
least  ho})e  of  success,  but  waited  for  the  reinforcements.  In  the  meantina^ 
the  regulars  improved  every  miiuite  of  their  time  in  setting  fire  to  the 
buildings  on  Dorchester  neck,  while  they  still  moved  towards  the  castle, 
where  l)oats  were  ready  to  receive  them,  but  our  troops  were  so  close  upon 
them,  that  they  put  out  the  fire  of  six  or  seven  of  the  buildings,  and 


5 


reached  the  point  next  the  castle,  before  the  regulars  had  reached  the 
castle,  who  had  made  prisoners  of  six  of  the  guard,  and  one  old  man,  an 
inhabitant. 

P.S.  It  is  about  two  miles  from  the  encampment  at  Dorchester  over  the 
causeway,  etc.,  to  the  said  guard-house,  and  one  mile  from  thence  to  the 
point  next  the  castle."*        (Almons  Remembrancer,  Vol.  4,  page  104.) 

There  are  several  other  contemporaneous  accounts  which  are 
vi-orthy  of  being  brought  together  for  reference. 

The  journal  of  Timothy  Newell,  Esq.,  one  of  the  Selectmen  of 
Boston,  had  the  following  : 

"  Feb.  13.  This  night  a  large  body  of  the  Troops  about  3  o'clock  set 
off  on  the  Ice  from  the  fortifications,  landed  at  Dorchester  Neck  and  set 
fire  to  all  the  houses  and  barns,  brot  off  six  prisoners  wdio  w^ere  Centinels. 
Colo.  Lesslie  from  the  Castle,  assisted  with  the  Troops  there,  and  re- 
turned at  seven  o'clock.  No  engagement  ensued — the  Provincials  guards 
run  off"." 

Ezekiel  Price,  Esq.,  who  was  Clerk  of  Courts  of  Common  Pleas 
and  Sessions,  a  gentleman  well  qualified  by  his  position  to  secure 
accurate  information,  gives  in  his  diary  a  clear  and  concise  statement : 

"  The  affair  at  Dorchester  Point  was  this  :  A  party  of  the  Regulars 
from  Boston,  and  another  party  from  the  Castle,  set  oft'  at  the  same  time 
on  the  ice  and  landed  on  Dorchester  Neck,  with  an  intention  to  encircle 
and  take  a  party  of  our  army  posted  there  ;  but  our  party  discovered  them, 
and  retreated,  and  got  from  them  :  however,  they  took  a  sergeant  and  four 
or  five  men,  who  were  picket-guard  on  the  Point,  then  set  fire  to  the 
houses, — two  or  three  of  them, — and  retreated  immediately,  and  got  off 
before  any  of  our  army  could  reach  them." 

{Mass.  Historical  Soc.  Proc,  1803.) 

General  Washington's  account  of  tlie  affair,  given  in  a  letter  to 
the  President  of  Congress,  is  as  follows  : 

"  Cambridge,  February  14,  177G. 
Last  night,  a  party  of  Regulars,  said  to  be  about  five  hundred,  landed 
on  Durchester-Neck,  and  burned  some  of  the  houses  there  wdiich  were  of  no 
value  to  us,  nor  would  they  have  been,  unless  we  take  post  there.  They 
then  might  have  been  of  some  service.  A  detachment  went  after  them,  as 
soon  as  the  fire  was  discovered,  but,  before  it  could  arrive,  they  had  ex- 
ecuted their  plan,  and  made  their  retreat." 

General  Heath  in  his  Memoirs  refers  to  it  also  : 

"  Tn  the  morning,  a  party  of  British  troops  from  the  Castle,  and  another 
from  Boston,  crossed  over  to  Dorchester  Neck,  with  intent  to  surprise 
the  American  guard,  which  they  came  well  nigh  effecting  ;  the  guard  but 
just  escaping  them.  There  was  but  one  nuisket  fired,  on  the  side  of  the 
Americans.  An  old  inhabitant  and  his  son  were  taken  prisoners.  The 
British  burnt  the  houses  on  the  point,  and  then  returned." 

*  Tlic  eiicanipiucnt  was  loi-ated  on  or  near  Savin  Ilill. 


6 


There  are  several  other  accounts,  but  they  add  no  information  to 
that  already  given.  The  most  unique  relation  is  that  found  in  the 
diary  of  David  How,  a  Continental  soldier  : 

"  This  morning  A  Bout  4  Clock  the  Troops  at  Boston  Landed  At  Doces- 
ter  hill  and  Burnt  4  or  5  houses  &  Took  one  old  man  that  Be  long  in  them. 
Our  people  ware  soon  A  Larm*^  &  wont  Down  And  Drove  them  Back  As 
fast  a  gin  as  they  come." 

The  destruction  of  the  dwelling  houses  could  certainly  not  con- 
tribute much  to  injure  the  American  forces,  or  prevent  them  from 
fortifying  the  Heights,  and  the  expedition  for  this  purpose  scarcely 
needed  one  thousand  men.  But  as  far  as  we  can  see  there  appears 
to  have  been  no  disposition  to  bring  on  an  engagement  with  the 
Americans.  In  fact  it  is  quite  evident  that  Col.  Leslie's  intention 
was  simply  to  capture  the  guard  and  destroy  any  preparations  made 
for  erecting  fortifications  on  the  Neck.  The  guard  quickly  retreat- 
ing from  their  advance,  prevented  an  engagement  of  the  troops, 
and  the  Colonel  ordered  the  buildings  destroyed  and  hurried  to  tlie 
point  nearest  the  Castle  where  he  found  boats  in  readiness  for  him. 

As  some  suspicion  of  cowardice  may  attach  to  the  Americans 
from  the  statements  already  given,  it  is  fortunate  that  we  have  an 
authorized  statement  to  the  contrary.  In  a  letter  from  Col.  Hun- 
tingdon to  Governor  Trumbull,  the  former  says  :  "Much  blame  has 
been  thrown  on  our  guard,  at  Dorchester,  on  occasion  of  the  late 
excursion  of  the  enemy  there,  and  burning  a  few  desolate  houses, 
but  I  hear  General  Ward  approved  their  conduct." 

In  reference  to  the  sentries  who  were  captured.  Colonel  Hunting- 
don says  : 

''Three  of  our  sentries,  who  were  taken  by  the  enemy  ^  *  =^  *  *  were 
brought  out  by  a  flag  of  truce,  and  delivered  up  to  us,  this  day.  The 
others  wlio  were  made  prisoners  at  this  same  time,  the  officers  of  the  lines 
say  do  not  choose  to  come  out;  but  why  they  have  permitted  any  to  return 
to  us,  is  a  matter  of  speculation." 

We  have  been  unable  to  learn  the  name  of  the  "  old  inhabitant " 
who  is  reported  as  having  been  taken  prisoner. 

From  a  statement  of  Mr.  Noah  Clap,  the  town  clerk  of  Dorches- 
ter, there  were  at  the  time  of  this  raid  eleven  dwelling  liouses  at  the 
Neck,  of  which  six  were  burned,  together  witli  ten  or  twelve  barns, 
shops,  etc. 

Fortunately  tlie  houses  destroyed  can  be  described  with  some 
degree  of  accuracy. 

The  Foster  house  was  the  only  one  on  the  Neck  west  of  the  "road 
to  the  Castle"  (Dorchester  Street),  and  was  occupied  by  the  widow 
of  Captain  James  Foster  with  her  children.  It  stood  upon  the  lot 
now  covered  by  the  Grand  Army  Hall  on  F  Street  (formerly  the 
F  Street  (\)ngregational  Church  building),  and  before  the  erection 
of  this  building  the  old  cellar  hole  was  plainly  seen. 


7 


The  situation  of  this  house  was  very  delightful,  commanding  a 
full  view  of  the  towns  of  Boston,  Koxbury  and  Charlestown.  The 
ground  sloping  to  the  north,  west  and  south  made  it  especially 
attractive  and  there  was  nothing  to  interfere  with  the  view  in  these 
directions  except  the  small  hill  called  Nook  hill,  which  was  sub- 
sequently occupied  and  fortified  by  the  American  forces. 

The  Foster  house  w^as  surrounded  by  stately  elms  and  has  been 
described  as  an  elegant  residence,  far  exceeding  in  finish  and  ap- 
pointments the  majority  of  dwellings  in  its  vicinity.  It  was 
"  papered  and  painted  througliout,"  so  unusual  a  thing  that  it  is 
mentioned  in  a  claim  presented  for  damages  ;  and  it  is  said  that  its 
elegance  led  the  British  soldiers  to  think  it  was  the  property  of  a 
tory. 

The  main  house  was  40  feet  by  20,  two  stories  high,  and  a 
gambrel  roof,  with  an  L,  30  feet  by  30,  of  one  story. 

In  near  proximity  to  the  house  were  two  barns  "completely 
finished,"  besides  wood-houses,  a  shop,  a  corn  barn  "partly  a 
store,"  a  cider  mill,  etc.  All  of  these  buildings  were  destroyed, 
but  fortunately  Mrs.  Foster  had  removed  all  personal  property  of 
value.  The  fences  on  the  estate  also  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the 
troops,  some  being  burned  and  others  doubtless  being  thrown  down 
in  their  hurried  march  across  the  fields.  The  administrator  of  Mr. 
Foster's  estate  claimed  £21  for  "part  of  Inventory  sold  to  repair 
fences  laid  waste  by  Enemy." 

The  whole  amount  of  loss  here  was  estimated  in  1782  at  £745. 

The  next  house  easterly  was  that  of  Mr.  Oliver  Wiswell,  situated 
on  a  lane  which  corresponded  nearly  with  the  present  Fourth  Street, 
east  of  Dorchester  Street — approximate  to  what  was  long  known 
as  the  Bird  School  House.  This  building,  two  stories  high,  56  feet 
by  20  feet  in  area,  was  destroyed  and  also  a  very  large  barn  with 
other  buildings,  hay,  implements,  etc. 

From  Mr.  Wiswell's  it  was  but  a  short  distance  to  the  farm  of 
Mrs.  liuth  Bird,  the  widow  of  Jonathan  Bird.  The  house  was 
on  the  easterly  side  of  G  Street,  on  the  spot  wliere  Dr.  Samuel  Gr. 
Howe  long  resided.  It  was  36  feet  by  30,  of  "two  stories  and  a 
garret,"  witli  an  L,  which  was  consumed,  and  a  barn  also — the 
total  value  beinsr  estimated  at  £325. 

Down  the  hill  near  the  present  corner  of  Fifth  and  K  Streets,  was 
the  old  Withington  homestead  where  Hopestill  AVithington  and 
family  had  long  resided.  It  was  a  small  building,  and  an  old  one, 
"two  stories  and  a  garret,"  20  feet  by  40,  erected  before  1757  to 
replace  the  first  house  built  on  the  spot  by  Capt.  John  Withington, 
who  led  a  company  of  Dorchester  soldiers  in  the  Canada  Expedi- 
tion of  1690,  from  which  he  never  returned. 

Unfortunately  some  of  the  feather  beds,  bedding,  etc.,  were  left 
in  the  house,  which,  with  the  barn,  was  entirely  consumed.  Later 
his  son  claimed  the  value  of  the  property  burned  as  £87. 


8 


Entering  upon  the  road  to  the  Castle,  perhaps  through  the  "road 
to  Powow  Point  "  (K  Street),  the  British  troops  moved  easterly  to  a 
barii  belonging  to  Enoch  AViswell,  a  brother  of  Oliver  above  named. 
This  we  locate  on  the  northerly  side  of  Eourth  Street,  between  M 
and  N  Streets.  Here  a  house  was  standing  as  early  as  the  year 
1713.  Mr.  Wiswell  was  taxed  in  1771  for  a  house,  the  annual 
worth  of  which  was  rated  at  £4.10,  but  the  building  if  standing 
in  1776  appears  to  have  escaped  destruction  by  the  enemy.  In 
addition  to  the  barn  a  few  tons  of  hay  and  some  agricultural  imple- 
ments, with  a  "large  brass  kettle,"  were  also  lost  by  Mr.  Wiswell. 
The  total  loss  here  was  estimated  at  £106.12. 

John  Wiswell,  a  son  of  Enoch,  was  at  that  time  x)y  subsequently 
a  soldier  in  the  continental  service. 

At  the  extreme  point,  near  P  Street  and  Broadway,  was  the 
Blake  estate,  u|)on  which  were  two  houses,  one  belonging  to  the 
estate  of  Samuel  Blake,  deceased,  and  the  other  to  James  Blake. 
The  latter,  erected  previous  to  1732,  was  two  stories  and  a  half 
high  with  an  L,  all  of  good  dimensions  and  in  good  condition,  and 
the  other  was  probably  of  more  recent  building,  but  of  equal 
value.  The  two  houses  with  the  barn  near  by  were  both  destroyed. 
It  is  stated  that  Mr.  James  Bhd^e,  from  his  house  in  Dorchester, 
could  see  the  flames  from  his  burning  buildings,  powerless  to  pre- 
vent the  destruction.  He  had  been  so  much  annoyed  by  the 
British,  months  before,  that  he  removed  nearly  everything  of  value 
from  the  house,  as  did  also  the  occupants  of  the  neighboring  dwell- 
ing, and  the  reported  loss  of  £480  covered  the  value  of  the  two 
houses  and  one  barn. 

Four  years  after  this  event  Mr.  Blake  asked  leave  of  the  Council 
to  remove  one  of  the  barracks  erected  for  use  of  the  army  on  land 
near  by,  and  place  it  over  "  the  Celler  of  the  House  of  your  Petitioner 
which  was  Burnt  by  the  Enemy,"  and  that  he  might  "  have  the 
benefit  of  improving  s'^  Barrack  a  short  time  as  a  dwelling  house." 

He  desired  an  immediate  answer  to  his  request,  that  he  miglit 
"take  advantage  of  the  present  snow  to  remove  it  on."  It  is 
believed  that  the  request  was  granted,  and  that  Mr.  Blake  occupied 
the  building  until  he  could  erect  a  suitable  dwelling  for  himself. 
A  portion  of  the  house  then  erected  was  removed  in  1835,  and  is 
now  occu[)ied  by  Mr.  Frank  E.  Park,  on  the  corner  of  Broadway 
and  P  Street. 

For  many  years  there  was  a  house  on  what  was  known  as  the 
Mann  Estate  on  Second  Street,  between  I  and  K ;  it  was  standing 
in  1771,  but  appears  to  have  escaped  the  torch  of  the  soldiers  in 
1  776.  It,  or  at  least  a  house,  was  on  the  spot  in  1785.  Several 
otlier  houses,  perhaps  five  in  all,  were  left  unliarmed.  One  was 
probably  owned  in  part  by  ^latthew  Bird  and,  with  others,  was 
located  near  the  i)resent  I  and  K  Streets. 

If  any  reason  can  be  iissignod  for  these  houses  having  been 


9 


passed .  without  being  destroyed  it  is  probably  because  the  march 
of  the  soldiers  was  on  the  southerly  side  of  the  hills  and  they  were 
in  so  great  a  hurry  to  get  away  that  they  paid  no  attention  to  those 
buildings  which  were  not  conspicuous.  The  troops  hurriedly  em- 
barked in  boats  ready  for  them  and  made  for  the  Castle. 

The  news  of  this  exploit  caused  consternation  among  the  inhab- 
itants of  Dorchester  and  other  towns  on  the  coast,  and  fears  of 
similar  raids  were  entertained  by  many. 

Hon.  Josiah  Quincy,  writing  from  Braintree,  Feb.  19,  1776,  to 
General  Washington,  said: 

Since  the  sudden  and  unexpected  burning  of  the  houses  upon  Dor- 
chester Neck,  I  have  been  repeatedly  and  earnestly  solicited,  by  my  dis- 
tressed friends  and  neighbors,  to  make  an  humble  representation  to  your 
Excellency,  that  our  habitations  are  equally  exposed  to  be  destroyed  by 
our  enemies.  If  our  army  shall  take  post  upon  Dorchester-Neck,  have  we 
not  reason  to  apprehend  the  shores  will  be  attacked,  from  a  spirit  of  re- 
venge ?  " 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  affair  of  the  14th  of  February  had 
great  effect  in  hastening  the  preparations  for  the  fortification  of 
Dorchester  Heights  which  culminated  in  the  evacuation  of  Boston 
on  the  17th  of  March  following. 

On  the  8th  of  March,  1782,  a  resolve  was  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  Massachusetts  "directing  the  Selectmen  of  those  towns 
where  the  enemy  have  made  depredations  to  cause  an  account 
thereof  to  be  transmitted  to  the  Secretary's  office,"  but  only  a  few 
returns  appear  to  have  been  made,  or  at  least  there  are  not  many 
now  to  be  found  in  the  archives  of  the  State.  Those  rebiting  to 
the  town  of  Dorchester  apparently  cover  only  the  loss  occasioned 
by  the  raid  of  February,  177G. 

The  Kegister  for  January,  1899  {ante,  page  71)  has  an  article 
copied  from  an  original  manuscript  in  the  writing  of  Noah  Clap, 
Esq.,  the  Town  Clerk  of  Dorchester,  entitled  "Damages  caused  by 
British  and  American  troops  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  in  February, 
1776." 

The  first  nine  items  do  represent  losses  caused  by  British  troops 
on  Dorchester  Neck  in  February^  1776,  and  correspond  with  the 
accounts  given  below,  e;xcepting  in  the  valuation,  Avhich  is  probably 
accounted  for  by  the  fluctuation  of  the  currency. 

'Jlie  other  items  under  the  head  of  "Damages  done  by  American 
soldiers  "  probably  include  losses  occasioned  during  the  fortifying 
and  occupation  of  the  Heights  and  several  other  forts  on  the  Neck 
and  also  near  the  main  settlement.  The  first  twelve  names  on  this 
list  were  owners  of  property  or  residents  at  the  Neck,  but  we  are 
left  entirely  in  the  dark  as  to  the  character  of  the  losses — although 
it  may  be  surmised  that  the  destruction  of  fences  and  crops  made 
up  a  large  part  of  the  claims. 


10 


The  following  certificates  are  copied  from  original  files  in  the 
State  Archives,  Volume  138  : 

These  may  Certify  that  in  Feb^  1776,  the  Enemy  came  from  Boston  & 
Castle  William  in  the  night  and  Bnrnt  Six  Dwelling  Houses  &  Xine  Barns 
upon  DorchcvSter  Neck,  besides  several  smaller  Buildings.  The  Damages 
to  the  several  owners  may  appear  by  the  accounts  accompanying  this  Re- 
turn. 

Noah  Clap  "1 
Samuel  Topliff     |  Selectmen  of 
Ebenezek  Kiltox   )>    the  Town 
John  How  of  Dorchester 

Samuel  Coolidge 

An  Estimate  of  the  Buildings  burnt  by  the  British  Troops  on  Dorchester 
Neck,  belonging  the  Estate  of  Capt.  James  Foster  (deceased). 

Mary  Foster. 

A  dwelling  house  40  feet  by  20,  with  a  Gambrel  roof,  compleatly 

finished,  pa2)er'd,  painted,  &c.  £300. 
An  End  to  the  above  house  that  form'd  an  L  30  by  30,  one  Story 

high,  Gambrel  roof  180. 

2  Wood  houses,  20  by  20  Each  36. 

1  Shop,  15  by  15,  Clapboarded  &  Glass  windows  24. 

1  Barn  30  by  30,  Compleatly  finish'd  plank  floor.  Stanchions  for 
cattle  &c  100. 

1  Barn  25  by  30  finish'd  as  above  50. 

1  Corn  Barn  20  feet  by  25,  partly  a  Store  30. 

1  Cyder  mill  &  Press  15. 

Boai'd  fence  &c  Sund^'-''  other  small  bnildniirs  10. 


£745. 


The  above  is  an  Estimate  of  the  real  value  of  these  buildings  as  specified 

pr.  W'"  Richards. 


Dwelling  House  56  feet  Long  20  feet  wide  2  Store  High 

Barn  54  feet  Long  30  feet  wide 

Chaise  House  24  feet  Long  12  feet  wide 

Corn  Barn  20  feet  Long  6  feet  wide 

Shed  at  the  End  of  the  house  20  feet  Long  1 2  wide 

1  Load  Salt  Hay  26/8    2  Loads  Stocks  53/4 

4  Ladders  45/  '  1  Flax  Brake  12/ 

1  Fork  3/    3  Rakes  4/6 

I  Ridino-  Saddle 

]  Plough  2(')/<S    2  Axlctrees  8/ 
Cyder  WiW  <k  Press 
Cheese  Press 


350. 

0. 

0 

100. 

0. 

0 

32. 

k;. 

0 

12. 

0. 

0 

10. 

0. 

0 

4. 

0. 

0 

2. 

17. 

0 

7. 

6 

1. 

6. 

8 

1. 

14. 

8 

6. 

12. 

0 

12. 

0 

£522.  5.  10 


The  iibovc  acc*  was  the  Property  of  JMr.  ()li\cr  AMswall  of  Dorchester 
Neck.  J  NO  Champney 

Tho^  Tilestone 


11 


The  above  Account  of  the  Loss  I  sustained  by  the  British  Troops  ac- 
cording to  the  best  of  my  Knowledge,  is  true  &  Just. 

Attest  Oliver  Wiswall 


The  Value  of  a  House  and  Barn  the  Property  of  the  Widow  Ruth  Bird, 
destroyed  by  the  British  Troops  in  February  1776,  apprized  by  me  the 
subscriber. 

Dwelling  House  36  feet  by  30       @  £300.  0.  0 

A  Barn  20  Feet  Square  @  25.  0.  0 

£325.  0.  0 
Edward  Pierce. 


Estimate  of  Damages  done  by  the  British  Troops  to  Mr.  Enoch  Wiswell 
of  Dorchester  Neck. 

A  Barn  42  feet  Long  28  feet  wide  88.  0.  0 

3  tons  English  Hay                  @  £3.  9.  0.  0 

2  Ploughs                              @26/8  2.  13.  4 

1  pr  Cart  Wheels  2.  2.  8 

2  Flax  Brakes  @  8/  16.  0 
1  Large  Brass  Kettle  Cont^  1  bb^  4.  0.  0 


Sworn  to  by  John  Wiswell  £106.  12.  0 


An  Account  of  the  Damage  that  Hopestill  Withington  Sustained  by  the 

British  Troops  in  February  1776,  According  to  the  best  of  mv  Knowledge. 

s  D 

To  a  Dwelling  House  40  Feet  by  20  £50.  0.  0 

To  a  Barn  30  Feet  by  20  15.  0.  0 

To  two  Feather  Beds,  and  Bedding  18.  0.  0 

To  several  Chairs  &  Some  Tables  &c  4.  0.  0 


£87.  0.  0 

James  Withington. 


Damages  Done  by  the  British  Troops  in  1776  to  ye  Estate  of  ye  heirs 
of  ye  late  Samuel  Blake  of  Dorchester,  was  y*^  Burning  of  his  Dwelling 
house  &  Barn  upon  Dorchester  Necke  (so  Called)  y^  Value  of  said  House 
is  two  hundred  Pounds  Lawfull  Money  ye  Barn  being  But  half  Said  Bl-akes 
is  Forty  Pounds  Lawfull  Money. 

This  Iilstamation  was  made  By  James  Blake  Ju^'  of  said  Dorchester. 
1782,  May  y«  2'^ 


Damages  done  by  the  British  Troops  in  1776,  To  y*^  Estate  of  M^' James 
Blake  of  Dorchester,  was  y^  Burning  of  his  Dwelling  House  &  Barn  upon 
Dorchester  Neck,  (so  Called)  y^  Value  of  Said  House  is  two  Hundred 
Pounds  Lawfull  Money ;  ye  Barn  being  But  half  said  Blakes  is  Forty 
Pounds  Lawfull  Money. 

This  Estamation  was  made  By  James  Blake  J"^"  of  said  Dorchester. 
1782,  May  v^  2*^ 


Since  the  foregoing  was  published  in  the  Register,  my  attention 
has  been  called  by  Capt.  A.  A.  Folsom  to  the  following  account  of 
this  raid,  which  was  given  by  Col.  Stephen  Kemble  while  Deputy 
Adjutant-General  of  the  British  Army  in  North  America : 

Tuesday  Feb.  13th.  This  day  Musgraves  Light  Infantry  being  ordered 
by  the  General  to  be  struck  out  of  the  Detail  gave  me  reason  to  apprehend 
something  was  going  forward ;  the  Major  of  Brigade  of  the  day  calling  on 
me  in  the  Afternoon  with  the  General's  directions  for  Musgraves  Corps 
being  intended  in  the  detail  did  not  shake  my  opinion,  in  which  I  was  con- 
firmed by  the  Generals  acquainting  me  in  the  Evening  that  IMajor  Mus- 
grave,  with  Corps  and  7  companies  of  Grenadiers,  Avere  to  cross  the  River 
to  Dorchester  at  3  in  the  Morning :  the  two  Corps  composing  about  330 
Men,  and  that  Col.  Leslie  with  six  Companies  of  64*^,  were  to  laud  from 
the  Castle  on  the  Neck  directly  opposite  to  it,  the  Intention  of  both  to 
burn  the  Houses  on  the  Neck  from  Fosters  Hill  to  the  Castle,  which  was 
executed  between  4  and  5  in  the  Morning  very  effectually,  without  the 
loss  of  one  Man  either  Killed  or  Wounded.  Five  Deserters  were  taken, 
all  country  Born  and  belonging  to  Col.  Ward's  Regiment,  who  say  they 
were  Sentries,  and  part  of  a  Guard  of  70  or  80  Men  placed  there  at  a 
House  near  Fosters  Hill,  but  the  Guard  got  entirely  off,  thro'  the  Darkness 
of  the  Night,  during  which  some  snow  fell,  so  as  to  make  it  impossible 
for  oar  People  to  see  them  when  hid  in  the  Wood.  These  Prisoners  give 
little  Intelligence,  nor  were  there  found  any  Fascines  or  Gabions,  as  a 
preparation  for  building  a  Battery  on  Fosters  Hill  as  we  had  been  given  to 
understand  was  intended. 

The  General  gave  all  the  Prisoners  leave  to  return  if  they  chose  it,  but 
only  two  of  the  six  chose. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  20th.  Three  of  the  Prisoners  taken  by  Major  Musgrave 
on  the  morning  of  the  14th,  were  sent  to  the  Lines  to  be  set  at  liberty. 
The  Rebel  Officer  refused  to  receive  them  till  he  had  acquainted  his  General 
of  it  but  they  were  soon  accepted  being  discharged  without  any  terms  de- 
manded by  our  General.  ( Journal  of  Col.  Stephen  Kemble.  New  York 
Hist.  Coll,  188S.) 


COPY  OF  ORIGINAL  MANUSCRIPT  IN  POSSESSION 
OF  AUGUSTUS  PARKP:R,  Esq. 


Reprinted  from  the  New-England  Historical  and  Genealogical  Register 
for  January,  1899. 


An  Account  of  the  Hostilities  Committed  by  the  Ministerial  Troops  in  the 
Town  of  Dorchester,  Feh\,  1776. 

An  House  &  Barn  belonging  to  James  Blake  &  Samuel 


Blake  Burnt  by  s"^  Troops   £220—  0—  0 

A  Barn  belonging  to  Enoch  Wiswell  Burnt  &  his  House 

datnaged  by  d«   32—  0—  0 

An  House  &  Stable  &  Barn  belonging  to  Francis  Bernard 

burnt  hy  (V   100—  0—  0 

An  House  belonging  to  Hopestill  Withington  &  a  Barn 

belonging  to  D°.  &  to  his  brother  Joseph   35 —  0 —  0 

Furniture  &c.  in  Hop.  Withington's  House   10 —  4 —  0 

Joseph  Withington  a  Canoe  &  an  Orange  pear  Tree    .    .  4 — 16 —  0 

Widow  Ruth  Bird's  House  and  Barn    155 —  0 —  0 

Oliver  Wiswell,  House  and  Barns   248 —  0—  0 

Widow  Mary  Foster  House  Barns  &c   253 —  0 —  0 

£1058—  0—  0 

Damages  done  by  our  Soldiers. 

James  Blake   £63 —  0 —  0 

Enoch  Wiswell   22  —  10—  0 

Francis  Bernard   40 —  0 —  0 

Hopestill  Withington   5—  9—  0 

Joseph  Withington   34 —  0 —  6 

Widow  Ruth  Bird   408—11—  8 

Oliver  Wiswall   219—10—  0 

Widow  Mary  Foster   98—15—  4 

Joseph  Clark  &  Obadiah  Low   047—14—  0 

Widow  Anna  Swift   46-10-0 

Mathew  Bird    .   11_10—  6 

Francis  DeLuce   4 —  9 —  6 

John  Clap   28—  9—  3 

Widow  Sarah  Clap   31_lo—  3 

Capt.  Ebenezer  Clap  •   .  244—  2—  9 

Captain  Lemuel  Clap      ...........  136 — 13 — ■  1 

Roger  Clap     .   36—11—  4 

Abner  Clap   27—14—  3 

John  Jeffries  Esq^'   38—  2—  3 

Nath"  Clap   4—7—1 

Jun^^  Clap   28—03—  0 


14 


Daniel  Fairn   0—7—0 

Noah  Clap  •  '  15—04—  0 

Thomas  Mosley   43—15—  3 

Ichabod  Wiswell   6 

Sarah  EmoDs   57—10—  3 

Henry  Humphrey   5 —  6 —  6 

John  Withington   2—10—  6 

Mary  Bird   31_12—  6 

Hannah  &  Elizabeth  Blake   4 —  5 —  0 

John  Humfrey   7 —  7 —  6 

David  Clap   5—15—  9 

Jonathan  Bird   7 — 10 —  0 

John  &  David  Holbrook    30—  0—  0 

Samuel  Topliff   4—8—6 

Paul  Hall   0—12—  6 

Preserved  Baker   7 —  3 —  8 

Josiah  Leeds   3 — 13 —  6 

Isiah  Leeds   1 — 14 —  0 

John  Wiswell   12—18—  4 

John  Goff   7—3—0 

John  Lowder   7 —  0 —  0 

Aaron  Bird   28—17—  0 

Philip  Withington   1—6—3 

George  Baker   0 — 16 —  3 

Francis  Price   4 —  5 —  0 

Nathaniel  Langley   3 — 19 —  6 

Samuel  Cox   5 —  0 —  0 

The  Estate  of  William  Holden  Escf   16—8—0 

Samuel  Holden   1 — 14 —  4 

John  Billings   6 —  5 —  0 

P^benezer  Maxfield   0—  4 —  0 

Josiah  Merow   0 —  9 —  0 

John  Blackman   0 —  5 —  0 

John  Champiiey   0 — 17 —  6 

Alexander  Glover   1 —  4 —  0 

Dr.  Phinehas  Holden  &  Jonatlian  Holden   8 — 10 —  0 

William  Holden   2—6—6 

Wid^^  Sarah  Clap  Juii^'   17-11—  0 

John  Baker,  Nath^  Wales  &  George  Baker   34—  0-10 

John  White   0—12—  4 

Richard  Hall    3—9-0 

Samuel  Belcher   22—13—  0 

Andrew  Oliver  &           Walters   200—17—6 

Ebenezer  Pope   7 —  9 —  9 

Oliver  Billings   3_  2—  6 

P^benezer  Glover   2 —  0 —  0 

the  Estate  of  the  Late  Remember  Preston   55 — 12 —  6 

Samuel  Baker   3 — 16 —  0 

Joseph  Pjeals   10_  0—  0 

Elijah  Pope  "   2—0—0 

Jcrcraiali  Hunt   0—12 —  0 

Major  Thomas  Dawes   46 — 15 —  6 


15 


Edward  Preston   43—12—  6 

Deacon  Abijah  White   12—0—0 

Cap*  John  Homans   4 —  0 —  0 

Edward  Williams  &  Henry  Williams   4 —  0 —  0 

Caleb  Williams   13—8—0 

John  Minott   1 — 10 —  0 

Col.  Samuel  Pierce   0  —  15—  0 

Ebenezer  Tolman  &  Jonas  Tolman   1 — 15 —  0 

Elisha  Tileston  p:sq^   2—10—  0 

yemmons  Lot   30 —  0 —  0 

Damages  done  to  the  Town's  Houses,  fences,        .    .    .  23 —  1 —  2 


£560— 

19— 

7 

430— 

3 

1479— 

12— 

2 

1058— 

■  0— 

0 

3528— 

■12- 

0 

670— 

-  9— 

3 

4199—  1—  3 
399—11—  0 


£4598—12—  3 


The  total  loss  as  itemized  was  £3528.  12,  but  it  is  impossible  now  to 
decide  as  to  what  the  addition  of  £1069.  represents.  There  is  no  reference 
to  this  subject  in  the  town  books.    See  Note  page  9. 


The  plan  on  the  opposite  page  has  been  prepared  to  enable  the 
reader  to  gain  some  idea  of  the  movement  of  the  British  troops  in 
the  raid  of  1776  and  the  location  of  the  houses  then  destroyed. 

The  heavy  lines  indicate  the  principal  roads,  the  '^Way  to  the 
Castle,"  the  "Way  to  the  Nook,"  and  the  "  Way  to  Powow  Point," 
but  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  show  the  few  other  paths  which 
existed  at  an  early  date,  as  enumerated  in  a  subsequent  article.  It 
will  aid  the  reader  to  remember  that  the  main  road,  the  "Way  to 
the  Castle,"  followed  nearly  the  line  of  the  present  Dorchester 
and  Emerson  streets. 

The  several  estates  referred  to  in  these  pages  are  indicated  by 
shaded  lines  by  which  the  area  of  each  may  be  determined,  and  the 
black  squares  show  the  approximate  location  of  the  dwelling  houses. 

Although  many  of  the  lots  granted  in  1637  to  inhabitants  of 
Dorchester  can  be  readily  defined,  and  a  plan  of  the  lots  at  the  time 
of  annexation  of  the  Neck  to  Boston  in  1804  now  exists,  no  attempt 
is  here  made  to  show  other  than  those  occupied  by  the  first  houses. 

The  dotted  lines  represent  the  principal  streets  of  South  Boston. 


DORCHESTER  NECK  1725— SOUTH  BOSTON  1875. 


EARLY  FAMILIES  AT  DORCHESTER  NECK. 


FOSTER. 

In  the  year  1635,  Hopestill  Foster,  then  a  boy  about  fourteen 
years  of  age,  with  his  mother,  came  to  New  P^nghmd  and  settled  at 
Dorchester.  He  in  time  became  closely  identified  witli  the  interests 
of  the  town,  and  was  one  of  its  most  influential  inhabitants. 

For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the  selectmen,  in  1652  was  a 
deputy  to  the  General  Court,  and  in  many  other  very  important 
positions  served  the  town.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Artillery 
Company  in  1642,  and  of  the  Dorchester  Training  Band  in  1644, 
whence  he  obtained  his  mihtary  titles  of  Ensign  and  Captain. 

The  oft  recurrence  of  his  name  in  connection  with  public  aflairs, 
as  well  as  the  more  private  relations  with  his  neighbors,  attest  the 
excellence  of  his  character,  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held, 
and  the  brief  record  of  his  death,  as  recorded  in  Blake's  Annals, 
is  very  comprehensive  :  "This  year  (1676)  Died  Capt.  Hopestill 
Foster  Ocbr  15,  So  often  Improved  in  ye  Town  &  Countrys  Ser- 
vice." 

Capt.  Foster  left  a  large  estate  valued  at  £1402.6.8,  and  by  will 
he  made  suitable  provision  for  his  wife,  after  whose  death  the  prop- 
erty was  to  be  divided  among  his  children.  A  valuable  portion  of 
his  lands  were  located  at  the  Neck,  and  one  of  his  bequests  deserves 
mention  in  this  sketch. 

To  his  sons  Comfort  and  Standfast  he  gave  "  my  land  at  leeke 
hill  reserving  a  convenient  piece  on  ye  south  side  next  ye  high  way 
for  a  meeting  house  if  such  an  occasion  bee." 

Leek  Hill  located  on  the  northerly  side  of  the  peninsula,  near  the 
present  junction  of  Second  and  Dorchester  Streets,  was  a  small 
eminence,  which  during  the  Revolutionary  war  was  fortified  by  the 
American  troops.  At  the  time  of  the  bequest  there  was  certainly 
no  occasion  for  a  meeting  house  in  this  locality,  but  it  is  evident  that 
Captain  Foster  anticipated  an  earlier  occupation  than  actually  fol- 
lowed. 

The  lot  was  sold  a  few  years  later  with  the  meeting  house  reser- 
vation, but  it  was  entirely  ignored  in  subsequent  transfers.  With- 
out question,  this  may  be  regarded  as  the  first  reference  on  record 


20 


to  the  possible  religious  wants  of  the  dwellers  at  the  Neck,  and  it  is 
noteworthy  that  no  house  for  religious  worship  was  erected  any- 
where on  the  peninsula  until  1810. 

Among  other  bequests  of  Mr.  Foster  to  his  son  James,  was  one 
of  certain  lands  at  the  Neck  with  "  the  house  &  barn  where  he  now 
lives  at  80  pound  prize." 

James  Foster,  the  eldest  son  of  Capt.  Hopestill  and  Mary  (Bates) 
Foster,  was  born  April  13,  1651.  He  was  twice  married  ;  the  first 
time,  Sept.  22,  1674,  to  Mary  Capen,  and  the  second  to  Mary 
Lane.  It  is  reasonable  to  conclude,  that  about  the  date  of  his  first 
marriage,  he  went  to  live  at  the  Neck  ;  for  in  addition  to  the  mention 
in  the  father's  will  of  the  son's  house  ivhere  he  ivas  living  in  1676, 
there  is  another  record  of  importance  and  interest  in  determining 
the  date,  of  the  erection  of  the  house. 

The  record  of  a  meeting  of  the  "Select  men  the  9,  12  73  "  (9 
February,  1673)  shows  "The  same  day  it  was  granted  to  James 
Foster  liberty  to  take  about  15  to  16  loads  of  timber  out  of  the  500 
acres  towards  the  building  him  an  house." 

We  have  here  circumstantial  evidence  of  Mr.  Foster  commencing 
to  build  a  house  in  the  spring  of  1673-4,  the  fact  of  his  marriage 
six  months  later,  and  of  his  actual  residence  in  the  house  in  July, 
1676.  It  appears  therefore  quite  clearly  established,  that  Mr. 
Foster  erected  the  first  dwelling  house  on  the  Neck,  the  Blake  house, 
heretofore  considered  the  first,  evidently  not  having  been  erected 
until  about  1680. 

The  location  of  the  Foster  homestead  estate  is  well  known.  It 
included  nearly  all  that  territory  now  lying  between  and  bounded  by 
Dorchester  and  D  Streets  with  Sixth  Street  on  the  south  and  the 
Harbor  on  the  north. 

The  house  was  situated  on  the  spot  now  lately  occupied  by  the  E 
Street  Congregational  Church,  and  it  may  be  wortliy  of  note  that 
although  the  lot  reserved  in  1676  by  Capt.  Hopestill  Foster  has 
never  been  used  for  a  meeting  house,  yet  upon  his  lands  given  to 
his  son  James  are  now  (1882)  located  not  less  than  eight  houses 
for  religious  worship. 

The  road  to  the  Nook,  referred  to  in  scores  of  conveyances,  leav- 
ing the  main  road  at  the  present  corner  of  Dorchester  and  Seventh 
Streets,  furnished  entrance  to  this  estate,  and  practically  ended  at 
this  house,  although  a  cartway  beyond  afforded  passage  for  the 
owners  of  land  in  that  vicinity.* 

Westerly  of  the  house  was  an  orchard  of  several  acres,  which,  in 
1720,  with  a  "Cyder  Mill  House,"  Mr.  Foster  gave  to  his  son 
James  "towards  his  advancement  &  preferment  in  the  world."  This 
lot  was  located  near  Fifth  Street,  between  D  and  E  Streets. 

*  The  line  of  this  "Nook  hine"  can  be  triiccd  even  now  b}^  the  division  lines  of 
estates,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  F  and  Seventli  Streets.  Tlie  writer  remembers 
walking  through  a  part  of  this  lane  when  it  was  l)ounded  by  stone  walls. 


21 


It  can  be  easily  perceived  that  Mr.  Foster's  house  was  in  a  very 
delightful  locality,  commanding  a  view  of  Boston,  Charlestown, 
and  the  surrounding  country,  as  well  as  the  harbor.  It  was  upon 
quite  a  rise  of  ground,  the  land  sloping  on  the  westerly,  northerly 
and  southerly  sides.  For  more  than  one  hundred  years,  it  or  its 
successor  was  the  only  one  west  of  Dorchester  Street. 

The  estate  included  meadows,  salt  marsh,  pasture  lands,  an 
orcha,rd,  and  also  a  slate  quarry.  The  ledge  of  slate  extended  over 
quite  an  area — that  portion  of  it  best  known  forty  years  ago  appear- 
ing at  the  corner  of  F  and  Third  Streets  where  a  great  excavation 
had  been  made  in  removing  the  stone  for  commercial  purposes. 

Another  portion  appeared  above  the  surface  on  the  lot  near  the 
corner  of  E  and  Bowen  Streets.  In  1676,  Capt.  Foster  gave  to 
his  son  Hopestill  this  lot,  which  was  called  the  "  Quarry  meadow," 
"  with  the  profiits  thereof,"  indicating  that  the  stone  was  considered 
of  value  at  that  early  period.  Many  grave  stones  now  in  the  old 
burying  ground  of  Dorchester  were  cut  here,  but  the  quality  of  the 
slate  is  not  sufficiently  good  to  warrant  any  extensive  operations 
in  the  present  day. 

Mr.  Foster  inherited  some  of  the  characteristics  of  his  father 
Hopestill,  and  although  not  so  prominent  as  he  in  public  life,  yet 
served  the  town  in  many  official  capacities  and  was  held  in  high 
repute.  He  also  was  inclined  to  military  service  and  for  many  years 
bore  the  title  of  Captain. 

He  died  October  4,  1732,  aged  81  years  and  6  months,  and 
was  buried  in  the  old  burying  ground  in  Dorchester. 

He  devised  by  will  his  large  estate  to  his  wife  and  nine  children, 
six  daughters  and  three  sons  :     James,  John  and  Hopestill. 

Tlie  son  Capt.  James,  Jr.,  received  the  homestead  and  adjoining 
lands,  but  of  himself  or  family  we  have  very  little  information. 

He  died  Jan.  8,  1763,  and  his  son  James,  the  third  of  the  name, 
inherited  the  homestead  estate. 

At  what  time  the  original  house  was  destroyed  is  unknown,  but 
it  is  presumed  it  had  been  supplanted  before  this  time  by  a  more 
imposing  and  comfortable  structure.  We  have  a  partial  description 
of  the  house  in  1771,  which  with  facts  recorded  in  1776,  enables 
one  to  o^et  a  tjeneral  idea  of  it. 

The  dimensions  of  the  main  house  were  40  feet  by  20  feet,  two 
stories  and  a  gambrel  roof ;  with  an  L,  30  by  30  feet,  one  story 
bigh,  also  with  a  gambrel  roof. 

There  were  a  "West  &  East  Lower  room,"  a  "west  &  east 
chamber,"  a  "Garret"  and  a  kitchen  which  latter  perhaps  was  in  the 
L.  Tlie  ed.sterly  lower  rooui  was  the  living  room  and  the  westerly 
room  was  used  as  a  sleeping  room.  If  we  may  judge  by  the  loca- 
tion of  the  house  erected  in  [)lace  of  this  one  a  few  years  afterwards, 
we  should  say  the  front  door  was  on  the  southerly  side  and  the  L 
on  the  westerly  end. 


22 

An  excellent  barn,  30  by  50  feet,  stood  a  little  northwest  of  the 
house,  and  the  corn  barn,  cyder  mill  and  other  farm  buildings  were 
near  by. 

The  house  itself  was  far  in  advance  in  style  and  exterior  finish, 
of  many  or  the  majority  of  the  dwellings  in  the  town.  It  was  not 
only  painted  inside  but  also  papered,  an  uncommon  thing  for  those 
days. 

It  was  reported  as  "  completely  finished,"  and  the  inventory  of 
the  estate  of  the  last  named  James  Foster  (who  died  June  4,  1771) 
indicates  a  style  of  living  superior  to  many  families  of  that  period. 


GRAVE-STONE  OF  JAMES  FOSTER,  Senior. 


The  real  estate  of  Mr.  Foster  embraced  84  J  acres  of  Neck  lands, 
and  auiong  the  items  emunerated  were  :  Two  horses,  2  heifers, 
1  yoke  oxen,  G  cows,  13  sheep  and  8  swine;  fire  arms  and  sword 
£7.  18.  0;  a  Ne(jvo  hoij  (who  was  subsequently  sold  for  £40)  ; 
a  silver  tardvard  (wliich  sold  foi-  £7.  7.  S.),  and  a  fair  supply  of 
silver  and  other  ware:  a  canoe:   a  lot  of  stone-cutter's  tools;  slate 


23 


stones  of  the  value  of  £27.  A  boat  was  serviceable  in  going  to 
and  from  Boston  and  Charlestown,  and  I  have  found  many  references 
to  the  sale  of  boat  loads  of  stone. 

Nov.  2d,  1771,  the  administrator  gave  notice  of  his  appoint- 
ment in  the  Boston  Evening  Post^  to  which  is  appended  :  "  To  be 
sold  a  likely  Negro  Boy  of  Eleven  years  of  Age,  belonging  to  the  Es- 
tate of  said  Deceased.  N.B.  The  Stone- Cutter's  Business  is  carried 
on  at  Said  place  as  usual." 

Upon  the  occupation  of  Boston  by  the  British  troops,  the  family 
removed  to  some  place  of  greater  safety,  taking  care  also  to  remove 
all  their  furniture  and  personal  property.  In  February,  1776,  the 
house  was  burned  by  the  troops  and  several  barns  and  outbuildings 
as  related  elsewhere.  The  administrator  claimed  allowance  "for 
what  was  destroyed  by  Enemy  £^^5.  19.  6  and  part  of  Inventory 
sold  to  repair  Fences  laid  waste  by  Enemy  21.  0.  0." 

Previous  to  1788  a  new  house  was  erected  on  the  spot,  a  diminu- 
tive view  of  which  appears  on  a  plan  in  possession  of  the  writer. 

It  is  represented  as  being  a  two  and  a  half  story  house  of  good 
dimensions,  with  a  front  door  of  imposing  appearance.  A  little 
east  of  the  house  a  well  with  its  windlass  and  crank  is  indicated. 
The  lane  from  the  road  to  the  house  and  the  gate  are  also  marked 
on  the  plan  and  many  large  trees  about  the  premises.  Two  trees 
of  great  growth  are  remembered  by  many,  as  standing  on  this  old 
house  lot,  thirty  years  since,  near  which  was  the  cellar  of  the  house, 
and  a  large  tree  now  (1875)  to  be  seen  in  Bowen  Street,  near  F 
Street,  appears  to  be  indicated  on  the  plan  made  in  1788,  as  in 
or  by  the  road  to  Mr.  Foster's  farm. 

A  large  portion  of  the  estate  passed  into  the  hands  of  Abraham 
Gould,  wlio  married  a  daughter  of  the  third  rJames  Foster,  and  who 
was  well  known  in  connection  with  the  early  days  of  South  Boston. 


WISWELL. 


The  territory  now  lying  between  Dorchester,  Third,  Old  Harbor 
and  Gr  Streets,  embracing  some  thirty-six  acres,  was  very  early  in  pos- 
session of  Oliver  Wis  well.  The  earliest  date  as  yet  found  in  connec- 
tion with  his  residence  there  is  1727,  but  the  probabilities  are  very 
strong  that  he  had  resided  at  the  Neck  for  some  years.  From  whom 
he  received  this  property  is  not  clear,  but  probably  from  his  fatlier 
Enoch,  or  grandfather  Thomas,  both  of  whom  were  large  holders 
there. 

We  are  especially  unfortunate  in  the  lack  af  items  of  interest  con- 
cerning this  family,  although  members  who  resided  elsewhere  were 
men  of  distinction. 

Oliver  Wis  well,  son  of  Enoch,  was  born  Jan.  25,  1665,  in  Dor- 
chester, and  married  June  1,  1G90,  Sarah  Baker.  His  trade  was 
that  of  a  "  cordwinder."  We  are  inclined  to  believe  that  he  went 
to  the  Neck  to  live  about  the  time  of  the  division  of  his  father's 
estate  in  1710,  at  which  time  he  doubtless  came  into  possession  of 
these  lands. 

The  location  of  his  house  at  the  foot  of  "  Strawberry  Hill "  as 
then  called,  tlie  westerly  of  the  "  Twin  Hills,"  was  very  near  Avhere 
the  Bird  School  House  now  stands  on  Fourth  Street,  a  few  rods  east 
of  Dorchester  Street.  A  lane  to  the  house  left  the  main  road  ("the 
way  to  the  Castle")  probably  about  where  now  Silver  Street  passes 
east  from  Dorchester  Street. 

One  very  large  tree  is  now  standing,  or  was  a  few  years  since, 
very  near  where  the  original  house  must  have  been  situated.  In 
tlie  trunk  of  another  old  tree  which  was  lately  cut  down  was  found 
imbedded  the  stock  of  a  gun. 

]\Ir.  Wiswell,  in  1727,  gave  to  his  son  Oliver  (in  consideration 
of  his  living  with  his  parents,  while  the  other  sons  had  been  learn- 
ing trades),  the  westerly  part  of  his  dwelling  house  and  cellar, 
and  two  acres  before  the  house,  the  use  of  the  well  of  water  and 
of  the  westerly  half  of  the  garden.  The  house  faced  northerly  and 
the  two  acres  extended  along  the  old  "  Koad  to  the  Castle  "  (or  Dor- 
chester Street)  towards  Third  Street. 

By  reference  to  the  article  on  the  Bird  estate  it  will  be  seen  that 
what  was  know^n  subsecjuently  as  Dorchester  Heights  w;is  all  in 
possession  of  the  two  individuals,  jNIcssrs.  ^Vlswell  and  Bird,  and 
apj)arently  no  other  families  lived  on  either  of  those  hills  before  the 
year  1«()0. 


25 


In  1732,  Mr.  Wiswell  gave  to  his  son  Enoch  the  easterly  part  of 
his  dwelling,  with  the  "young  orchard  from  the  corner  of  the  ditch 
wall  to  the  cherry  tree." 

The  fruit  of  the  cherry  trees  on  this  estate,  thirty  years  ago,  had 
a  delicious  flavor  to  the  boys,  who  were  kindly  invited  to  help  them- 
selves— of  course  no  boy  was  ever  known  to  scale  the  fence  and 
quickly  gather  the  fruit  without  an  invitation  ! 

The  transfers  of  real  estate  made  by  this  Wiswell  family  w^ere 
very  numerous,  and  there  must  have  been  many  papers  preserved 
which  would  prove  of  great  interest  to  the  antiquarian — but  a  few 
years  since  some  of  the  descendants  thought  the  "  old  yellow  papers  " 
had  better  be  out  of  the  way,  and  into  the  fire  they  went. 

Mr.  AViswell  died  at  an  advanced  age  March  14,  1746.  The 
inscription  upon  his  gravestone  in  the  Old  Cemetery  reads  : 

Here  lyes  Buried  the  Body  of  Capt" 
Oliuer  Wiswell  who  Departed  this  Life 
March  14*1^  A.D.  174G:  in  the  83  year 
of  his  age. 

In  accordance  with  his  will,  his  property  was  distributed  in  1756, 
at  the  death  of  his  widow,  among  the  children  :  seven  sons  and  one 
daughter — Thomas,  Enoch,  Ebenezer,  Ichabod,  John,  Samuel, 
Oliver  and  Hannah .  Oliver  and  Samuel  lived  with  their  father  and 
cared  for  him  "longer  than  the  rest." 

The  amount  of  real  estate  owned  by  Mr.  Wiswell  at  time  of  his 
death  was  large,  but  the  personal  estate  was  very  small,  the  inven- 
tory showing  only  a  valuation  of  £27.  1.  1.  It  is  probable  that  as 
he  advanced  in  years  he  surrendered  his  house,  etc.,  to  the  care 
of  his  sons,  and  most  of  the  personal  property  in  the  house  passed 
to  them. 

By  purchase  of  his  brothers,  Oliver  Jr.  became  the  owner  of 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  estate  and  retained  it  for  many  years. 

Although,  in  1746,  the  houses  of  Oliver  eJr.  and  Enoch  were 
referred  to  as  distinct  houses,  yet  by  several  references  to  them  w^e 
feel  assured  that  they  adjoined  each  other  and  were  })robably  in  fact 
one  building. 

In  1776  the  British  troops  burned  the  house  and  barn,  for  which 
he  claimed  damages  of  the  town.  The  house  is  described  then  as 
56  feet  long  by  20  feet  wide. .  Another  house  was  soon  after  erected 
on  the  same  spot,  and  subsequently  (after  17()5)  Oliver  Wiswell 
Champney  came  into  possession  of  it.  At  the  time  of  annexation 
to  Boston,  1804,  the  estate  was  divided  and  sold  to  several  parties. 


BIRD. 


The  first  mention  of  this  family  in  connection  with  Neck  lands, 
is  in  the  year  1677,  when  Thomas,  John  and  James  Bird,  brothers, 
bought  of  Samuel  Farnsworth  eighteen  acres  of  land,  for  "ififty 
five  pounds  in  good  and  lawfull  money  of  this  Country,"  which  is 
described  as  follows  in  Suffolk  Deeds,  Vol.  ii..  Folio  140. 

All  that  my  pasture  meadow  arable  &  tillage  ground  w^^^  all  woods 
profits  and  comodities  thereunto  belonging  scituate  lying  and  being  upon 
middle  hill  in  the  Neck  of  the  afores'^  Town  of  Dorchester  containing 
by  estimation  eighteen  Acres  little  more  or  less,  being  butted  &  bounded 
on  the  s''  hill  in  the  s'*  Town  on  the  s'^  Neck,  upon  the  Lands  of  the  afores*^^ 
Thomas  Bird  John  Bird  &  James  Bird  Westward,  upon  the  Lands  of 
Widdow  Batten  on  the  East,  upon  the  road  way  to  the  Castle  Northward, 
and  upon  the  Seas  Southward,  formerly  the  P^state  of  my  ffather  Joseph 
fiarnsworth  and  late  in  possession  of  Joseph  Long  of  Dorchester. 

Joseph  Farnsworth  owned  this  tract  as  early  as  1659.  At  some 
date  between  1667  and  1677  the  Bird  brothers  had  come  into  pos- 
session of  land  lying  easterly  of  the  above  described  tract,  near  to 
or  adjoining  the  Withington  estate  elsewhere  referred  to,  possibly 
received  from  their  father's  estate.  The  "Middle  Hill"  was  the 
more  easterly  of  the  "twin  hills,"  or  that  one  lying  between  G  and 
H  Streets  ;  it  was  thus  designated  to  distinguish  it  from  its  "  twin  " 
on  the  west  and  the  elevation  on  the  east  now  known  as  Independ- 
ence Square.* 

Thomas  Bird,  the  eldest,  probably  purchased  his  brothers'  rights 
in  this  estate,  for  a  few  years  later  the  title  appears  to  be  in  his  own 
name.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  xVnn  Bird,  born  May  4,  1640. 
He  married,  May  2,  1665,  Thankful  Atherton,  a  daughter  of  the 
noted  "Major  Generall"  Atherton. 

No  evidence  has  been  found  to  indicate  that  Mr.  Bird  resided 
at  the  Neck,  and  there  are  good  reasons  for  believing  that  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  Jan.  30,  1709-10,  there  was  no  dwelling  house 
upon  this  estate.  In  the  division  of  his  property  his  son  Benjamin 
received  a  large  portion,  especially  of  the  Neck  lands. 

Benjamin  Bird,  the  son,  was  born  in  Dorchester,  April  13,  1686. 

*  Tlie  twill  lulls — Dorchester  Ileifjiits — were  not  only  used  for  fortifications  in  1776, 
but  also  in  the  war  of  1812.  Plans  of  the  latter  are  in  existence.  In  18  15,  ^fvs.  Bird 
petitioned  the  State  for  retnuueration  for  use  of  her  property  during  the  war. 


27 


He  married  Joanna  Harris  and  had  fifteen  children,  five  of  whom 
were  born  in  Boston,  the  rest  in  Dorchester.  He  resided  in  Boston, 
where  he  was  a  wharfino-er  until  about  1721,  when  he  removed  to 
Dorcliester,  and  it  is  supposed  at  that  time,  or  very  soon  after, 
went  to  live  at  the  Necic. 

He  was  quite  an  important  man  in  the  town,  his  name  often 
appearing  upon  the  records  in  official  positions.  He  was  intere.-ted 
in  other  lands  at  the  Neck  than  those  above  referred  to,  and  all  the 
indications  are  strongly  in  favor  of  the  view  that  his  residence  there 
commenced  as  early  as  the  year  1721  ;  but,  as  yet,  there  appears 
nothing  to  determine  the  date  of  erection  of  his  dwelling. 

The  homestead  lands  embraced  the  tract  now  bounded  by  the  Old 
Koad  or  Emerson  Street  on  the  north  and  the  Old  Harbor  on  the 
south,  extending  from  G  Street  nearly  to  I  Street  and  comprising 
some  thirty  acres. 

The  house  was  situated  on  the  southerly  side  of  the  hill,  upon  or 
very  near  the  spot  well  known  as  the  Dr.  Samuel  G.  Howe  place, 
a  few  rods  east  of  Gr  Street,  near  Fifth  Street.  Although  shut  out 
from  the  view  of  much  of  the  harbor  and  of  Boston  and  Charles- 
town,  which  many  of  the  early  settlers  on  the  Neck  had,  yet  the 
main  settlement  at  Dorchester  was  plainly  in  sight. 

A¥hether,  in  early  years,  Mr.  Bird  had  a  right  of  way  through 
his  neighbor  Wis  well's  lands,  corresponding  to  what  was  a  few 
years  since  known  as  "Bird  lane,"  does  not  appear.  If  there  had 
been  such  a  right,  the  fact  would  probably  have  been  mentioned 
in  some  of  the  divisions  of  the  two  estates.  It  is  the  more  probable 
that,  as  in  after  years,  there  was  a  private  road  from  the  house  run- 
ning northerly,  parallel  with  G  Street. 

There  is  also  a  suggestion  from  indications  found  on  old  plans, 
that  there  may  have  been  a  way  which  left  the  main  road  at  the 
"mouth  of  the  Neck,"  say  Dorchester  and  Ninth  Streets,  and  ran 
around  the  southerly  bank  of  the  hills. 

Mr.  Bird  died  very  suddenly,  March  29,  1757,  and  his  son  Jon- 
athan (who  was  born  Jan.  1,  1734-5,  without  doubt  in  the  house 
above  referred  to)  inherited  the  homestead.  On  the  7^''  July,  1757, 
he  was  married  to  liuth  Robinson,  but  he  died  June  30,  1769,  at 
the  early  age  of  thirty-five.  His  widow  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty 
years,  her  death  occurring  Jidy  25,  1818. 

Mr.  Bird  left  no  will,  and  his  estate  was  not  divided  until  1783. 
The  inventory,  made  in  17G9,  indicates  a  very  comfortable  style  of 
living,  and  includes  also  forty-nine  acres  of  homestead  lands,  11 
cows,  19  sheep,  8  swine,  1  calf  and  a  Negro  man  who  was  valued 
at  £13.  6.  8.  Tlie  liouse,  3()  feet  by  30  feet,  was  one  of  two  stories 
with  a  garret  above  and  an  L,  there  being  an  east  and  west  chamber, 
east  and  west  rooms  below,  kitchen  and  bed-room  below,  a  garret 
and  a  kitchen  chamber.  This  was  the  dwelling  whicli  was  destroyed 
in  February,  1776,  by  the  British  troops,  as  elsewhere  described. 


28 


By  the  division  of  the  estate  the  widow  had  28  acres  of  the 
homestead  lands  and  her  son  Jonathan  Bird  Jr.  had  21  acres. 
The  latter,  born  March  30,  1761,  married  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Woodward  (well  known  in  connection  with  South  Boston  lands), 
and  continued  to  reside  on  the  old  farm  until  his  death,  Nov.  27, 
1809.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  in  1789.  His  son 
John  Hawes  Bird,  a  graduate  of  Brown  University  in  1829,  was 
the  founder  of  the  "Bird  School,"  having  left  property  to  secure  its 
establishment  and  perpetuity. 

It  is  believed  that  there  is  no  descendant  of  this  family  residing 
in  South  Boston  at  the  present  time. 


WITHINGTOX. 


Capt.  John  Withington  was  an  early  resident  at  the  Neck. 
His  grandfather,  Elder  Henry  Withington,  who  died  in  1666-7,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine,  was  the  owner  of  twenty-four  acres  of 
"plowed  land"  there  (then  valued  at  £84.),  which  he  gave  to  his 
son  Richard,  the  father  of  Capt.  John.  The  latter  doubtless  received 
this  land  by  gift  from  his  father,  as  it  does  not  appear  in  the  father's 
estate  in  1701. 

John  Withington,  born  in  Dorchester,  1649  (baptized  July  1), 
was  made  a  freeman  of  the  Colony  in  1673,  and  probably  married 
the  same  year.  He  was  one  of  the  selectmen  in  1686  and  1688, 
and  served  the  town  in  other  capacities. 

It  is  not  known  at  what  time  he  built  a  house  upon  his  lands  at 
the  Neck;  perhaps  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  in  1673,  but  it  is  a 
fact  that  as  early  as  1690  he  was  living  there. 

But  little  is  known  of  him,  except  that  in  1690  he  commanded  a 
company  of  soldiers  from  Dorchester  and  vicinity,  in  the  unfortunate 
expedition  under  Sir  William  Phips  against  Quebec.  This  expedi- 
tion, entered  upon  with  great  expectations  of  success,  proved  a 
disastrous  failure.  Of  Capt.  Withington's  Company  it  is  reported 
that  forty-six,  including  the  Captain,  never  returned,  the  larger  part 
of  them  probably  having  been  lost  at  sea. 

The  expenses  of  this  campaign  were  very  great,  and  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  the  times  and  pay  the  soldiers  engaged,  the  General 
Court  (unable  to  pay  in  coin)  authorized  an  issue  of  i:>aper  money. 
This  was  the  first  issue  of  such  currency  in  New  England.  Many 
years  after,  the  heirs  of  these  soldiers  petitioned  for  some  remuner- 
ation on  account  of  the  depreciated  value  of  the  currency  issued  to 
the  troops,  and  the  Court,  in  response,  made  certain  grants  of  lands 
which  were  known  as  the  "Canada  Townships." 

The  representatives  of  the  Dorchester  company  received  in  1735 
a  tract,  which  was  subsequently  incorporated  as  the  town  of  Ash- 
burnham,  in  this  State. 

Eor  a  long  time  after  the  return  of  some  of  the  soldiers  from  the 
expedition,  the  friends  of  the  missing  men  ho})ed  to  receive  tidings 
from  thenr;  but  in  March,  1(594,  tlie  death  of  the  Captain  being 
no  longer  in  doubt,  administration  was  granted  upon  his  estate. 


30 


The  inventory,  which  is  here  given  in  full,  will  afford  some  idea  of 
the  simple  style  of  living  in  the  Captain's  family.  The  scarcity  of 
household  furniture  is  particularly  noticeable — the  only  items  named 
besides  the  beds  and  beddino:  beins^  one  "table,"  a  "cubard"  and 
some  "  chairs." 

This  is  the  earliest  inventory  that  has  been  found  relating  to  any 
resident  of  the  Neck. 

An  Inventory  of  the  Estate  of  Caj^t  John  Withington  late  of  Dorchester 
deceased  taken  and  apprized  by  vs  whose  whose  (sic)  names  are  vuder  writ- 
ten this  second  day  of  March  :  169  J 

imprimis  to  a  dwelling  house  &  barne  &  49  acres  . 

of  land  adjoyning  ------  377_00-00 

to  two  small  parcels  of  land,  containeng  :  13  :  acres  060-00-00 
to  foure  parcels  of  salt  marsh  &  meadow  contain- 
eng :  13  :  acres  ------  112-00-00 

to  :  70 :  acres  of  woodland         .       -       -       -  066-00-00 
to  horses  cattel  sheepe  and  swine   -       -       -  032-10-00 
to  a  cart  plowes  yokes  and  tooles  for  husband  try  004-10-00 
to  Indian  corne  ry  and  barley     -       -       -       -  010-00-00 

to  money  plate  bookes  and  some  other  small  thinges  006-02-00 
to  peuter  and  brass  and  some  other  thinges  -  006-00-00 
to  a  sadle  bridle  pillion  and  pillion  cloth  -  -  001-02-00 
to  a  table :  cubard :  chairs  and  some  small  peices 

of  cloth  006-12-00 
to  beds :  and  its  furniture :  bedsteds  and  some 

other  thinges  022-18-00 

to  part  of  a  saw-mill   006-00-00 

£710-14- 

Nathaniel  Clap 
Jaimes  Blake  iur 
James  foster. 

A  careful  examination  of  records,  with  the  assistance  of  some 
plans  made  in  1751,  has  resulted  in  defining  the  location  of  tliis 
dwelling  liouse  of  Mr.  Withington  and  the  forty-nine  acres  "  adioyn- 
ing." 

The  estate  was  situated  on  the  southerly  side  of  the  "  road  to  the 
Castle"  (Emerson  Street),  between  the  present  I  and  K  Streets, 
extending  to  the  Old  Harbor  on  the  south.  From  the  "road  to  the 
Castle,"  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  west  of  K  Street, 
was  the  road  to  J^)W()w  Point  running  to  the  water  side,  affording 
an  entrance  to  this  estate. 

Powow  Point  was  so  called  because  of  the  resort  of  the  Indians 
hither  in  early  days. 

The  road  was  very  early  laid  out  by  the  town,  "through  ]\Ir. 
Withington's  lott  a  way  of  ten  rods  broad  to  goe  to  the  well  of  Powow 
Point."  Anotlier  record  relating  to  division  of  lands  i-eads  :  "  Att 
powwow  point  ther  was  allowed  lu'cre  about  half  an  acre  of  vpland 
i'oi-  cattell  to  stand  about  tbe  well  \vbi(  li  lieth  llrom  the  way  towards 


31 


Rodger  Claps  medow,"  this  last  way  running  Avesterly  from  the 
"way  to  Powow  Point." 

The  spring  of  clear  water  at  the  foot  of  K  Street,  seen  at  half 
tide,  Avas  known  to  all  the  old  inhabitants  of  South  Boston.  Some 
years  since  it  was  connected  with  a  brewery  in  the  vicinity  of  Gr 
Street,  to  furnish  spring  water  for  business  purposes. 

In  1880  Mr.  Thomas  Hills  had  an  artesian  well  sunk  beneath  his 
house  at  157  K  Street,  obtaining  an  abundant  supply  of  clear 
spring  water  which  was  probably  connected  with  the  old  spring  of 
PowoAv  Point.     (See  South  Boston  Inquirer^  Oct.  30,  1880.) 

The  Withington  house  was  located  very  near  the  present  Sixth 
Street,  about  midway  between  I  and  K  Streets,  a  garden  lying  west 
of  the  house,  and  the  Avell  in  close  proximity,  with  the  orchard  of 
some  four  acres,  easterly  and  southerly  of  the  house. 

A  very  meagre  description  of  the  house  is  found  in  the  paper 
relating  to  the  division  of  the  estate  in  1696.  Elizabeth,  the 
widow  of  Capt.  John,  in  that  year  married  Mr.  James  AVhite 
(who  owned  a  house  some  half  mile  easterly)  and  hence  the 
division  of  the  Captain's  estate  at  that  time.  She  was  then  assigned 
"  The  lower  room  in  tlie  west  end  of  ye  House  Avith  ye  Garrett 
aboue  it — a  third  part  of  the  celler  north  west  end  of  Barne  Avhich 
is  addition  to  the  Barne  first  set  up  &  a  Leantoo  on  the  north  side 
lying  to  the  Barnes  floor." 

From  this  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  house  was  a  low  structure, 
common  in  those  days,  having  but  one  story  Avith  a  garret  above. 
It  appears  probable  that  Mrs.  (Withington)  White  remained  on  the 
Withington  estate  until  her  death,  which  occurred  Nov.  19,  1722, 
at  the  age  of  seventy. 

Capt.  John  Withington  had  nine  children,  five  of  Avhom  are 
named  in  the  division  of  the  property  in  1696 — Richard,  Samuel, 
Elizabeth,  Hannah  and  Susannah. 

The  eldest  son  Richard  received  two-thirds  of  the  house  and  the 
lands  immediately  adjoining,  and  at  the  death  of  his  mother  he  took 
her  share  of  the  estate,  and  probably  resided  on  this  estate  until  his 
own  death,  March  18,  1749. 

The  papers  on  file  in  the  settlement  of  his  estate,  contain  many 
items  of  interest  connected  Avith  this  family.  The  inventory  taken 
in  May,  1749,  by  neio'libors — Foster,  Wiswell  and  Blake — amounted 
to  £3590.  1.  in  "Bills  of  Credit  Old  Tenor."  The  house  is  des- 
cribed as  havinii:  "  two  stories  &  a  jjarrct,"  and  measured  40  feet 
by  20  feet.  It  Avas  apprized  at  £200,  a  barn  at  £50,  corn  barn  at 
£20,  and  there  are  mentioned  thirty-eight  acres  of  land.  It  is  sur- 
mised that  the  house  was  not  that  mentioned  in  1694,  the  Avest  end 
of  Avhich  had  a  "lower  room"  and  "  garrett  aboue  it."  The  articles 
of  household  furniture  and  utensils  are  specifically  described  in  the 
inventory,  and  we  notice  a  grcjiter  variety  than  in  the  father's  estate, 
although  the  whole  indicates  a  primitive  style  of  living.     The  old 


32 


cupboard  appears  again,  and  there  is  an  old  chest  of  drawers,  with 
"one  oval  table"  and  "two  other  tables,"  ten  chairs  and  a  looking- 
glass,  spinning  wheels,  pilhon,  etc.,  and  the  usual  variety  found  in 
household  use  in  those  days.  Mr.  Richard  Withington's  widow 
remained  with  her  son  Hopestill,  until  her  death  in  1765,  when  the 
"  Mansion  House  "  with  a  large  portion  of  the  estate  passed  into 
the  possession  of  the  son.  In  1776  the  house  was  burned  by  the 
British  troops,  an  account  of  which  appears  on  a  previous  page. 

In  the  following  year  a  lot,  embracing  twelve  acres,  upon  which 
the  house  once  stood,  was  sold  to  Rev.  John  Hawes,  who  sub- 
sequently, probably  about  1805,  erected  a  new  house,  which  is  still 
standing  on  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  K  Streets,  known  as  the  "Capen 
house." 


MATHER-JOJSTES. 


In  1686,  Richard  Mather  owned  a  farm  of  thirty-two  acres  on 
the  Neck.  He  was  a  son  of  Timothy  Mather  and  born  in  Dor- 
chester, Dec.  22,  1653.  The  father,  in  1()67,  was  taxed  for  twenty- 
eight  acres  of  "  plowed  land,"  probably  the  same  estate  referred  to 
above,  doubtless  including  the  land  granted  to  Rev.  Richard 
Mather  in  1638. 

Mr.  Mather  married,  July  1,  1680,  "  Kataren  Wise" — Catherine 
Wise,  and  perhaps  in  anticipation  of  this  marriage  his  preparation 
for  building  a  house  was  commenced. 

It  is  recorded  that,  at  a  meeting  of  the  selectmen  : 

10  (10)  1G77.  It  was  granted  to  Richard  Mather  libertie  to  git  1400 
Clobord  out  of  the  Comon  swamp  towards  building  him  an  hoiis,  and  two 
load  of  butts  to  make  shingle  of  such  trees  as  are  not  fitt  for  Clobord  or  of 
such  as  are  already  downe. 

This  record  comprises  all  the  information  obtained  relative  to  the 
date  of  the  erection  of  Mr.  Mather's  house.  It  was  certainly  built 
as  early  as  March,  1686-7,  and  there  appears  to  be  good  reason 
for  fixing  the  date  previous  to  1680.  In  March,  1686-7,  Mr. 
Mather  mortgaged  the  farm  and  buildings  for  £35,  perhaps  to  pro- 
vide the  means  for  his  removal  to  Lyme  in  the  Connecticut  Colony, 
for  he  very  soon  went  there  to  reside.  This  mortgage  was  never 
cancelled  upon  the  records,  but  on  the  9th  of  January,  1687,  he 
sold  to  Isaac  Jones  the  whole  estate  embracing  thirty-two  acres, 
with  the  dwellings  on  it,  for  "  £250  current  money  of  New  Eng- 
land." 

Isaac  Jones,  who  lived  at  "Jones  Hill"  (near  the  present  Stough- 
ton  Street,  Dorchester)  conveyed  the  property,  in  1694,  to  his  son 
Ebenezer  who,  we  are  inclined  to  believe,  had  occupied  the  premises 
after  Mr.  Mather's  removal.  This  family  of  Jones  was  identified 
with  the  estate  for  more  than  fifty  years. 

Ebenezer  Jones  who  was  born  in  Dorchester,  20  (10)  1661, 
was  a  "yeoman,"  and  doubtless  with  his  family  led  a  very  quiet 
life  on  his  farm  at  the  Neck,  his  name  not  being  often  found  in 
connection  with  public  service. 

A  rude  sketch  of  the  estate,  made  in  1738,  marked  "Ebenezer 
Jones  Ilomestall,"  is  in  possession  of  the  writer,  and  also  a  plan, 
very  neatly  executed,  in  1749.  The  latter  gives  a  view  of  the 
house  and  barn,  and  there  is  no  difficuky  in  fixing  the  location.  The 
lot  embracing  thirty-two  acres  extended  from  tlie  "  Road  to  Castle 


34 


William"  (now  Emerson  Street)  to  the  seashore  on  the  north,  and 
from  the  present  I  Street  nearly  to  K  Street. 

The  house  was  situated  some  rods  north  of  the  road,  a  narrow 
lane  leading  to  it,  and  the  barn  was  a  few  rods  f  irther  north,  being 
near  the  present  Third  Street.  It  is  represented  as  facing  south- 
easterly, having  two  stories  with  a  garret  above.  Mention  is  made 
in  other  papers  of  a  "Lower  room,"  "Bed  room,"  "Chamber"  and 
"Garret."  A  well  was  situated  near  the  house,  and  near  the  barn 
Avas  a  pond  which  was  reserved  "for  cattle  to  drink  at." 

Some  two  years  before  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1735,  Mr. 
Jones  sold  eleven  acres  from  the  easterly  side  of  his, farm,  to  his  son 
Ichabod,  giving  him  liberty  to  use  a  well  of  water  "where  he  now 
dwells,"  probably  intending  to  give  tlie  son  right  to  take  water  from 
the  well  near  his  father's  house.  No  evidence  is  found  of  any  dwell- 
ing house  standing  on  tliis  lot  for  more  than  fifty  years  subsequent 
to  the  conveyance  to  the  son,  but  a  barn  is  mentioned  in  several 
instances. 

In  this  family  in  1735  were  six  children,  five  of  whom  subse- 
quently had  families  and  homes  of  their  ow^n. 

The  total  value  of  Mr.  Jones's  estate  as  appraised  in  1735  was 
£1488.0.6,  the  house  being  rated  at  £160,  and  seventeen  acres 
of  the  homestead  lands  at  £510,  the  latter  being  at  the  rate  of  about 
one-third  of  a  cent  per  square  foot.  The  inventory  is  given  below 
in  full. 

After  the  death  of  the  widow,  Jan.  1,  1744,  there  Avas  some 
diflSculty  in  settling  the  estate,  the  son  Samuel,  to  whom  the  pro- 
perty had  been  assigned,  having  neglected  to  make  a  proper  ad- 
justment with  the  heirs. 

The  account  rendered  by  the  administratrix  furnishes  some  items 
of  interest  to  the  present  generation  : 

Paid  Eleven  shillings  &  8  to  provide  Husking  out 

ye  Corn  belong  to  s*^  Estate       -       -       -  0.11.8 
"     Ichabod  Maxfield  for  Diging  ye  Grave  and 

toleing  ve  Bell  for  s'^  Jones    -       -       -  0.  18.  0 

"     Coffen   -  ■   0.  IS.  0 

"     Jas  Foster  Grave  Stones    -       -       -       -  ().  0 

A  Ilatt  for  dec'^  cost      -       -       -       -       -  2.    S.  0 

"     Plan  of  land      ------  (',.() 

'■'     Wine  at  ye  fun'   5.  1 2.  U 

"     Gloves    do  do  -       -       -       -       -       -  12.  10.  0 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  "wine"  and  "  olovcs  "  for  the  funeral 
cost  more  than  £18.  The  "plan  of  land  "  is  doubtless  the  one  now 
in  our  possession.  Of  the  grave  stones,  one  only  can  be  found  in 
the  Dorchester  l)ui'ving-gr()und — one  that  bears  the  simpK'  inscri[)- 
tion  : 

m'  ebenezer 
Jones. 


35 


The  graves  of  some  of  his  children  who  died  in  their  youth  are 
near  thfit  of  his  wife.  The  stone  over  the  hitter  fjrave  has  this 
inscription  : 

HERE  LYES  Y*^  BODY  OF 

M^*"  LYDiA  Jones  widdow 
OF  M"^  ebenezer  Jones 
she  died  Jan^  y^  1'^ 
1  7  4  4  :  IN  Y«  79^^^  1354453 

YKAR  OF  HER  AGK 

It  may  be  difficult  to  bring  before  us  a  picture  of  this  old  home- 
stead when  the  neighbors — the  Blakes  and  the  Withingtons,  the 
Wiswells,  the  Birds  and  the  Fosters — came  together  to  assist  at  the 
"  Husking  "  ;  there  is  nothing  in  the  present  view  of  this  old  farm 
to  suf^o^est  such  a  oatherino:  as  that. 

Among  other  papers  in  the  Probate  Court  files  is  a  small  book 
containing  Mr.  Jones's  accounts,  being  very  plainly  marked,  proba- 
bly by  himself: 

EBENEZER  JONES  HIS  BOOK. 
Shewing  what  he  hath  Paid  to  his  children 
in  Legacy's  &  what  he  hath  Given  them 
as  Part  of  y'r  Portions 

The  account  with  his  dauijhter  Hannah  shows  that  he  "ijaue  her 
as  part  of  her  Portion,  In  Cattle,  Silk  Crape,  Chest  of  Drawers, 
Iron  Pots,  Tramels,  Andirons,  Bedstead  &  Diverse  other  things 
£18."  Probably  this  was  at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  and  similar 
accounts  with  his  other  children  appear. 

The  discovery  of  tliis  book,  some  time  after  his  death,  appears  to 
have  occasioned  trouble  or  disputes  among  the  heirs.  A  few  years 
after  the  death  of  the  widow,  the  house  and  adjoining  land  was  sold 
to  James  and  Hopestill  Foster,  who  held  it  for  some  years.  This 
estate  is  evidently  the  one  referred  to  in  the  History  of  South  Boston, 
but  the  statement  there  made  about  the  Foster  family  living  on  the 
place  at  an  earlier  date  is  not  borne  out  by  the  records.  It  is 
possible  that  some  one  of  the  family  resided  there  about  1750,  but 
not  at  any  earlier  period.  In  1771  the  house  was  owned  by  Hope- 
still  Foster,  but  lie  resided  in  Boston.  It  appears  to  have  escaped 
the  firebnmd  of  the  British  troops  in  their  raid  in  February,  1776. 

A  large  portion  of  this  estate  was  sold  in  1785  to  Ephraiin  Mann 
and  many  now  living  in  South  Boston  remember  the  Mann  Estdte, 

From  this  tract  in  1749,  in  the  neighborliood  of  K  Street,  or 
somewhat  westerly,  a  wharf  extended  into  the  Harbor,  being  the 
first  mention  of  a  wharf  at  the  Neck. 

The  inventory  of  Ebenezer  »]ones's  estate  may  be  of  interest.  He 
was  one  of  the  few  lionseholders  on  the  Neck  in  1735. 


36 


A  true  Inventory  of  all  and  singular  the  Goods  Chattels  and  Estate 
both  Eeal  and  Personal,  of  Ebenezer  Jones  late  of  Dorchester  in  County 
of  Suffolk,  Yeoman,  Deceased,  as  it  was  Exhibited  by  the  Administrators 
on  y^  s'^  Estate,  and  Ap^^rized  by  us  the  Subscribers,  November  19^^^  1735. 


Apparrel 

A  Hat  - 

A  suit  of  Cloaths  ----- 
Two  yards  of  new  Frize  Cloatli  -       -  - 

Two  old  Coats  

Stockens  ------- 

Four  Shirts  

Boots  and  Shoes         -       _       -       _  - 

Three  old  Hats  

A  Muff  

In  the  Lower  Room. 

A  Bed  

A  Pair  [  ?  ]  

Sixteen  Chairs  ----- 

Two  Tables  ------ 

A  Warming-Pan  ----- 

Seven  Glass  Bottles  

Pewter  

Books  -   

Tinn  ware  ------ 

Iron  ware  

Copper  Kittle  &  Brass  Skillet 

Earthern  ware  ------ 

Wooden  ware  Plates  &c        -       -  - 

In  the  Bed  Room. 

A  Bed  Beding  &  Bedsted  -       -       -  - 

Linnen   

A  Table  2  Chests  &  a  Spining-whell  (sic)  - 

Carried  over 

In  the  Cellar. 

Cask  2/.  PumkinslG/.  Turnips  20/.  2oilJars3/. 
In  the  Chamber. 

Three  Chests  &  a  Box        .       -       .  . 

A  Spining  Wheel  

A  Pannel,  Pillion  &  Cloath 

A  Bed  

Two  meal-bags  

Indian  Corn 
In  the  Garret. 

Old  Iron   

An  old  Sword  

A  Pair  of  Bellice  &  Marking-Iron 

Horse  Tackling  for  Cart  &  Plow,  &  Cart  Rope 

A  Saddle  &  Bridle         -       .       -  - 
nusl)aiidry  Tools. 

Iron  Tools  


10 


10 


.. 

12 

.  1 

.2 

1 

.  i 

15 

A 

.  4: 

9 

15 

.4 

.3 

10 

.6 

10 

.4 

10 

12 

10 

.  7 

.1 

.  5 

72 

.3 

.2 

11 

.8 
.8 

.1 

.3 

.8 

12 

12 

.2 

14 

.3 

.7 

.2 

14 

.1 

15 

37 


A  Cart  &  one  Wheel      -       -       -       -  .  1  . . 

Three  Pitchforks        -       -    .  -       -       -  ^ 

A  Grindstone  &  Iron  winch  -  -  -  . .  15 
In  the  Barn  &  Stock. 

A  mow  of  Barley   .116 

A  mow  of  Hay   20  . . 

Four  Cows   28  . . 

A  brindle  Heifer   .  6  .  . 

A  Yearling  Heifer      -       -       -       -       -  .5  .  . 

Two  Calfs      -       -       -       -       -       -  .  5  .  , 

A  Horse   12  .  . 

Two  Swine     -       --       --       -  .4  10 


Land  about  y®  House 


Cash  

A  Bond  from  Edward  Capen 
A  Bond  from  Jonathan  Jones 
The  Dwelling  House  &  Barn 
The  Homestede  or 

about  17  Acres  at  £30  p  acre  -  j 
One  Acre  and  Three  Quarters  of  Salt  marsh  ) 

at  £30.  S 

Carried  over 

A.  Q.  R. 

Upland  &  Salt  marsh  at  little-neck  5-3-20 
Wood  &  Timber  growing  by  y^  Fresh  marsh 

Q.Ii. 

About  25-2-3  of  out  Land  in  y®  12  Divisions  ) 
in  Stoughton  at  30/.  p  acre     -       -  ) 

A.  Q.  R. 

About  4-2-13  in  y^  3'^  Lot  of  Cedar-Swamp  ) 
in  Bear-swamp  in  Stoughton  at  30/.    -  ) 

A  small  Addition  to  y^  S'^  Lot  in  Ilenshaws 
Cedar-Swamp  in  Stoughton  at  40/.  p  acre. 

About  5  J  Acres  of  Meadow-bottom  in  y^  26"^  ) 
Lot  in  y®  Westernmost  part  of  Horse-  > 
shoe-Swamp   -----  ) 

A  small  addition  to  y*^  S'^  Lot  in  the  Great  ^ 
Meadow  in  Stoughton         -       -       -  j 

A.   Q.  R. 

About  91-2-2C)  in  y«  34"^  Lot  in  y^  25  Divi- 
sions (so  called)  in  Stoughton  part  in  y® 
11*^  &  part  in  y^  12"^  Kanges  next  to  y® 
Colony  Line,  at  40/.  p  acre  - 

Total 


100 
20 
160 

510 
52 


10 


1037  .6  6 

176  .5  . 

30  ..  . 

38  .6  6 

6  17  6 

o 
O 

11  .  .  . 

.2  .5  . 

183  ..  . 

1488  6 


Oliver  Wis av all 
Benj''^  Bird 
James  Blake 

Suffolk  Ss. 

By  the  Hon'''''  Josiah  WiHard  Es(f  Judge  of  Pro  :  &c.  Lydia  Jones  & 
Samuel  Jones  Admin^"^  presented  the  foregoing  &  made  oath  that  it  con- 
tained a  true  &  perfect  Inventory  of  the  Estate  of  Ebenezer  Jones  late  of 


38 


Dorchester  aforesaid  yeoman  dec"^  so  far  as  hath  come  to  their  knowledge 
and  if  more  hereafter  appear  they  will  cause  it  to  be  added.  The  sub- 
scribing ap23rizers  being  sworn  as  y^  Law  Directs 

J  WiLLARD. 

Boston  April  13*^  1736. 

Subsequently  added  &  included  in  Adm^^  a/c 

Inventory   1488.    0.  G 

To  Sundries  not  appriz'd  viz.  a  Sheet  13/ 

a  Kittle  6/  £  19. 

To  a  half  Bushell  &  Peck  2/  a  Rugg  30/ 

Cash  8/3  4.  10.  3 

Rec"^  for  Milk  40/  a  Mare  &  Colt  80 /  for 

ap^Timb^l)/        .       -       -       -  6.    9  11.18.3 

1499.  18.  9 

Rec*^  Interest  on  Mr  Cai)en's  Bond       -       -       -  12.  3 


Account  of  Widow  Jones  (extract). 

Eleven  Shillings  &  8 
husking  out  y®  Corn  belong  to  s'^  estate 


1735    Nov'"  to  Eleven  Shillings  &  8  Pence  to  Provide  f or  |      £o  H  8 


Dec  6  to  13/  Paid  to  Ichabod  Maxfield  for  Diging  y^  )        0  13  0 
Grave  and  toleing  ye  Bell  for  s"^  Jones  f 
23  to  18/  Paid  to  Sa^^  Withington  for  a  CofPen  )        0  18  0 
for  s*^  Jones     ------  ^ 

Jan  19  to  5/  Paid  to  ye  Bove  for  ye  Cows  ye  last  )        0    5  0 

year  &  this  ) 

19  to  3/9  Paid  to  M^'^  Wiswell  for  Stilling     -  0.    3.  9 

1 9  to  three  Pounds  Paid  to  James  Foster,  for  ^ 

Grave  Stone  for  s*^^  Jones  &  32/  for  fence  to  >■       4.  12.  0 

S'^  foster  ) 

Jan.  27  to  2/9  Paid  to  Boston  a  Negro  for  Bottom-)        ^    ^  9 

ing  Chares  ) 

Nov.  5  to  4/G  Paid  Mindwell  Bird  for  making  morne- )        0    4  G 
ino-  Cloaths         -----  | 


0.  12.  6 


March  5  To  Cash  Paid  Doctor  Tomson  for  medecines  ) 
&c.      -       -       -       -       .       -       -  ] 
Account  of  Lydia  &  Samuel  as  administrators  (extract). 

p*^  for  mourning  for  tlie  widow  -  -  -  -  -  15.  — 
p*^  for  Wine  at  ye  Fun^  £5. 12  /p^  for  Gloves  for  D°  12. 10/  18.  2 
p^^  for  a  Hatband  for  Jno  J  ones  10/  for  keeping  a  Horse  20/  1.10 
To  your  accomptant  Samuel  for  a  Hatt  p'^  for  ye  deced  ) 

in  his  life  time  ^ 
pd  for  a  Phui  of  the  Land  ------ 

To  yr  accomptant  Samuel  a  Legacy  given  him  by  his  } 

Grandfather  j 


2.  8 


10  — 


WHITE  — WISWELL. 


James  White,  a  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Patience  White,  was  the 
owner  of  land  at  the  Neck  as  early  as  1667,  and  in  1713  he  had 
one  lot  of  thirteen  acres  upon  which  stood  a  dwelling  house.  He 
probably  acquired  this  land  through  his  wife  Sarah  Baker,  to  whom 
he  was  married  Feb.  22,  1665.  She  died  in  1688,  and  in  1696  he 
married  the  widow  of  his  former  neighbor  Capt.  John  Withington. 
The  date  of  the  building  of  the  house  cannot  be  determined,  but  it 
undoubtedly  was  before  1696.  Possibly  this  entry  in  the  town 
records  may  refer  to  the  preparations  for  building.  "14*'^  11.  17 
(14*'^  January  1677),  granted  to  James  Whit  libertie  to  git  200  of 
rails  and  40  posts  out  of  the  500  acres." 

Of  Mr.  White's  character,  liis  public  or  private  life,  we  have  no 
record.  Neither  is  it  clear  whether  or  not  he  lived  after  his  second 
marriage  at  the  Withington  homestead.  He  died  Nov.  11,  1713, 
leaving  a  small  amount  of  property,  (giving  to  his  wife  £60  in 
money  "  according  to  the  agreement  made  with  her  before  mar- 
riage." A  few  weeks  before  his  death  he  sold  to  James  Blake  the 
house  and  barn,  with  seventeen  acres  of  land  which  were  on  the 
northerly  side  of  the  Neck,  between  our  present  M  and  N  Streets, 
embracing  a  large  part  of  the  tract  known  for  many  years  as  the 
city  lands.  The  house  itself  was  probably  where  Independence 
Square  now  is,  or  perhaps  a  little  more  easterly. 

With  a  lot  of  seven  acres  adjoining,  it  was  sold  March  10,  1738, 
for  £1000,  in  "Bills  of  Credit,"  and  three  days  after  again  trans- 
ferred to  Oliver  Wiswell,  Jr.,  for  £500  of  the  same  tenor.  AA^hether 
Mr.  Wiswell  occupied  the  liouse  or  not  has  not  been  determined. 
In  1757  a  house  was  standing  there,  when  Enoch  Wiswell  became 
the  proprietor,  and  it  is  supposed  that  he  resided  there  for  some 
years,  certainly  as  late  as  1771.  The  house  must  then  have  been 
of  small  dimensions,  or  in  very  bad  repair,  or  both,  as  the  "annual 
worth  "  is  given  at  that  period  as  £1.  12.  !  ! 

When  the  British  troops  made  a  raid  upon  the  Neck  in  1776, 
they  burned  a  barn  of  Mr.  Wiswell's,  but  no  mention  is  made  of 
the  house.  Very  likely  it  was  one  of  those  buildings  which  were 
set  on  fire  but  esca[)ed  destruction,  as  there  certainly  was  a  house  on 
this  lot  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Wiswell's  death  in  1785,  the  inventory 


40 


showing  a  "Dwelling  House  and  Lands  valued  at  £280."  This, 
with  "10  pewter  plates,  8  pewter  Dishes"  and  other  personal  prop- 
erty, was  bequeathed  to  his  son  John,  who  was  then  a  "  Soldier  at 
the  Castle." 

The  city  of  Boston  eventually  had  possession  of  the  whole  tract, 
upon  a  portion  of  which  was  erected  a  Hospital  for  the  Insane  and 
other  public  buildings. 


BLAKE. 


William  Blake  was  born  in  Pitminster,  Somerset  County,  Eng- 
land, in  1594;  married  there  in  1617  and  with  five  children  came 
to  New  England  between  the  years  1630  and  1636.  He  settled  at 
Dorchester,  and  in  1637  shared  in  the  division  of  the  lands  at  the 
Neck.  His  son  James  became  an  active  man,  was  "much  in  public 
business,"  being  ruling  elder,  deacon,  recorder,  &c.  Previous  to 
1650  he  built  in  the  northerly  part  of  the  town  a  house  which 
is  still  standino;  althouo:h  removed  from  its  orioinal  location.  Mr. 
Blake  died  in  1700,  leaving  by  will  to  his  son  James  "all  my  Land 
at  Dorchester  Neck  adjoyning  to  his  house  that  he  dwells  in  :  all 
my  Lands  on  both  sides  of  the  way  leading  to  the  Castle  being  about 
six  and  thirty  acres." 

The  house  here  referred  to  was  the  second  one  erected  on  the  Neck 
(although  tradition  in  the  family  would  make  it  the  j^r,^^),  prepara- 
tions for  the  building  of  which  were  commenced  in  1681,  a  few 
months  before  the  son's  marriage. 

The  town  records  under  date  Nov.  14,  1681,  show  "  14  (9)  81." 
"The  same  day  it  was  granted  to  Deacon  James  Blake  libertie  for 
one  and  twentie  hundred  of  Clabord,"  which  very  likely  were  for 
use  on  the  new  house. 

In  his  father's  memorandum  book,  which  has  been  carefully  pre- 
served, are  several  items  relating  to  this  house. 

4^&f^j^  — -4— 

^/  ^"^''^  ~  ' 

"23.  11  '81  James  begane  to  worke  with  AVilliam  Ryall  aboute  his 
house;  16th  day  of  January  :  '81  :"  And  hiter,  "6.  1  '83  William 
Ryall  brought  in  an  account  of  the  work  that  he  hath  done  about 


42 


James  his  house,  which  is  in  all  81  1/2  days  and  due  to  him 
£10.3.9."  In  settlement  of  this  bill  Mr.  Ryall  received  a  portion 
in  "Corne,"  "Cyder,"  wood,  &c. 

It  appears  that  Indians  were  also  employed  in  the  work  about 
the  house.  "To  the  Indians  for  diging  of  a  Seler  4s  in  money  and 
3  pecks  meal  2.7" — "To  the  Indians  for  shindell  bolts  10  shillings." 
And  finally  the  father  records  "we  haveing  taken  an  account  of 
what  James  hath  received  of  me  since  his  maring  and  what  I  have 
layed  out  for  him  for  building  and  otherwise  the  whole  that  he  hath 
received  is  29.00.00." 

While  this  account  of  expenditures  is  very  meagre,  it  certainly 
is  the  only  one  relating  to  building  operations  on  the  Neck  in  the 
seventeenth  century. 

This  house  was  situated  at  the  extreme  easterly  end  of  the  Neck, 
very  near  the  present  southeasterly  corner  of  Broadway  and  P 
Street,  and  was  probably  the  only  house  on  the  Neck  with  the 
exception  of  Mr.  Foster's,  more  than  a  mile  distant.  Although 
isolated  from  the  settlement  at  Dorchester  it  was  a  delightful  loca- 
tion for  a  house,  with  nothing  to  obstruct  a  view  of  the  harbor  and 
settlements  in  various  directions.  The  road  or  cart  path  called  the 
"Way  to  the  Castle"  was  the  only  public  road  from  Dorchester, 
and  was  used  principally  in  transporting  supplies  to  the  soldiers  at 
Castle  William,  now  known  as  Fort  Independence.  And  over  this 
same  road  Deacon  Blake  went  "to  mill  and  to  meeting."  The 
writer  has  often  heard  a  great-great-granddaughter  of  the  Deacon 
speak  of  walking  and  riding  from  the  Point  over  this  road  to  Meet- 
ino;  House  Hill  on  Sundays  —  not  infrequently  being  hindered  in 
passing  over  the  "Causeway"  (now  Boston  Street)  by  the  high 
tides  flooding  the  roadway  to  the  depth  of  several  feet,  a  condition 
of  things  that  the  present  generation  can  with  difficulty  comprehend. 

Mr.  Blake's  attention  was  given  to  farming,  although  he  was  oc- 
casionally elected  for  some  town  service.  He  was  Deacon  of  the 
church  23  years,  refusing,  however,  to  serve  as  elder,  although  chosen 
to  that  office.  His  last  years  ^ 
were  years  of  suffi^ring,  and      v-)  (L(J/)TI^  ^ 


he  died  Oct.  22,  1732,  at  the 
age  of  80. 

Among  a  few  old  manuscripts  preserved  is  a  bill  for  articles 
furnislied  for  use  at  Deacon  Blake's  funeral,  at  the  house  above 
described  : 

The  Estate  of  Mr.  .him«  r>lake  Dec">  ) 
Bou<2;lit  of  Ezckicl  Lewis  ) 

lk)ston  Oct  23^'^  1732. 
T)  Doz.  mens  &  w'' wt  gloves         .       .       @'  ()0       £1;')-  0-0 
24  y''  1)1 :  Tillity  .        .        .        .        @  20  '1-  :>-() 

2    y''M)la:  Lntostriiig  .        .        .        .        @  U/O        1-  '.>-() 


43 


9f  y'i«  Alamode  .... 
4    bla  :  paper  faiiiis 
2    y^i^  ferritt  IG,  3  /  bhi :  o-irdles  9  / 
If  oz.  bla  :  Silk  .... 


Supra  Cr. 
By  18  p^'^  wt  gloves  Return'd 


Nov  27.  2  y'"  Wid  Crape  . 
Rec'*  the  Contents  , 


@ 


y 

4-  7-9 

4 

0-16-0 

10-1) 

1  f\  i\ 

i  U— 0 

24-18-9 

3-  5-0 

21-13-9 

10/ 

1-  0-0 

22-13-9 

p.    EzE.  Leavis. 

Tvs^o  other  bills  of  the  same  date,  amounting  to  over  £43.  for 
crape,  siprus,  handkerchiefs,  hat-band  crape,  silk,  qually  binding, 
etc.,  indicate  that  the  requirements  of  the  family  for  mourning  ap- 
parel did  not  greatly  differ  from  those  of  modern  times. 


1^ 

Si 


i4n 

mil 


Here ;         'Bu  t:^  e^if:  l^V,  B!3(lj/-)5i^f5 

pat  ted  "lVs   *b      0^  ( 2 
I'V  3        Ageci  80  Year^'l 

an<3    9-  ,  Months  , 
Ho  Vvd^ 'a  Member   m  full  L<;m\ 
_rn u n  Km  '■  ^^v'i t-h-    he; :  -  C Kur* c h/'  o.^^| I 
Chnft  "in     DoKF\eftti-  abou^^  ^^-j 

-,\Gburcb_  .^bou'e'  5. 5'/  >ear/>'.  .  ;  [j 


GRAVE-STONE  OF  DEACON  JAMES  BLAKE. 

His  grave  is  in  the  old  cemetery  in  Dorchester. 
Captain  Foster  died  only  a  few  days  before  Deacon  Blake,  the 
two  having  lived  as  neighbors  at  the  Neck  for  nearly  fifty  years. 


44 


By  will  bearing  date  Aug.  8,  1721,  Mr.  Blake  bequeathed  to  his 
son  James,  the  third  of  the  name  (who  was  born  in  the  old  house 
April  29,  1688),  "My  new  dwelling  house  and  barn  and  orchard, 
and  all  my  land  lying  about  my  house  on  both  sides  of  the  way  lead- 
ing to  the  Castle,  being  44  acres  or  thereabouts." 

This  suggests  that  the  house  erected  in  1681  had  been  supplanted 
by  a  new  one  before  1721.  And  recently  I  have  found  memoranda 
showing  that  Mr.  Blake,  the  last  named,  bought  in  1739,  66,000 
nails  of  various  kinds  with  lime,  laths,  bricks,  etc.,  and  one  Matthew 
Pratt  presented  a  bill  for  "Stuff  &  Building  his  House,"  all  of  which 
is  very  good  evidence  of  another  dwelling  being  erected  there,  or  an 
enlargement  of  the  old. 

Mr.  Blake  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  the  public  ser- 
vice, and  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  his  townsmen  and  by 
others,  for  he  was  very  widely  known.  He  served  as  town  clerk 
for  twenty-four  years,  and  at  various  times  in  every  other  important 
office  in  the  gift  of  the  town.  His  records  alone,  covering  more 
than  one  thousand  pages,  gives  some  evidence  of  his  labors  and 
attest  his  care  and  faithfulness.  His  skill  as  a  surveyor  was  recog- 
nized by  the  highest  authority  and  his  plans  are  models  of  neatness 
and  accuracy.  As  executor,  administrator,  guardian,  and  legal  ad- 
visor, his  name  appears  with  great  frequency  in  the  public  records  of 
the  town  and  county. 


His  plans  of  all  the  Neck  lands  have  been  missing  for  years,  much 
to  the  regret  of  surveyors  and  conveyancers,  as  well  as  to  those  in- 
terested in  the  preservation  of  ancient  manuscripts. 

He  is  perhaps  best  known  as  the  author  of  "  Blake's  Annals  of 
Dorchester,"  a  work  of  great  historical  value. 

It  has  appeared  somewhat  remarkable  that  living  so  far  from  the 
main  settlement  of  Dorchester,  lie  should  have  been  asked  to  serve 
tlie  town  in  the  many  public  })ositions  which  lie  held,  but  the  fact  is 
certain  evidence  of  his  usefulness.* 

*  T  find  :i  letter  addressed  to  jNfr.  ]ilake  at  Dorchester  Neck  from  the  rvcsident  of 
Ilarxard  Collef^e,  relative  to  some  land  survey. 


45 


His  death  occurred  Dec.  4,  1750,  and  his  son  Samuel  succeeded 
to  the  estate,  living,  however,  but  a  few  years  after  the  death  of  his 
father.  The  widow  Patience,  who  was  left  with  nine  children,  re- 
mained at  the  homestead  at  least  until  driven  away  by  the  British 
troops. 


GRAVE-STONE  OF  JAMES  BLAKE,  THE  ANNALIST  OF  DORCHESTER. 


From  the  following  receipt  it  will  be  seen  that  the  children  at  the 
Neck  had  the  privilege  of  a  school  as  early  as  17G2,  with  j\lrs. 
Patience  Blake  as  the  teacher  : 

Dorchester,  Feb''  17()2. 
Rec'^  of  Noah  Clap  Treasurer  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  the  sum  of 
Four  Pounds,  by  y'"  Maud  of  Constable  Moseley,  being  what  was  Granted 
the  Inhabitants  of  Dorchester  Neck  in  iMay  last  towards  a  School,    I  sa}^ 
Ilec''  by  me  Patience  Blake. 

The  proximity  of  the  house  to  the  Castle  made  it  available  as  a 
"house  of  entertainment,"  and  we  find  in  old  manuscripts,  covering 


46 


many  years,  hints  of  officers  visiting  the  Fort,  stopping  here  for 
refreshment  for  themselves  and  their  horses.  Charges  against  the 
Governor  of  the  Province,  the  Commander  of  the  Fort  and  others, 
for  services  and  supplies  of  various  kinds,  are  numerous. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Samuel  Blake,  the  homestead  passed  to 
his  brother  James,  who  apparently  occupied  it  with  the  widow 
Patience. 

A  copy  of  a  plan  of  the  homestead  lands,  made  in  1749,  appears 
on  opposite  page.  The  house  stood  on  the  spot  almost,  if  not  quite, 
identical  with  that  lately  occupied  by  the  family  of  Mr.  Ambrose 
Lovis,  on  the  southeasterly  corner  of  Broadway  and-P  Street.  The 
orchard  is  well  remembered  by  many,  and  forty  years  ago  one  of 
the  wells  could  be  seen  on  the  westerly  side  of  P  Street.  The  gate 
across  the  highway,  shown  on  the  plan,  was  used  to  prevent  the 
straying  of  cattle. 

In  1775  the  presence  of  British  troops  in  Boston  and  at  the  Fort 
alarmed  the  residents  at  the  Neck  and  all  removed  to  places  of 
safety.  Mr.  Blake  took  his  family  and  his  personal  effects  to  Dor- 
chester and  remained  there  or  in  Boston  several  years,  although 
a  few  of  his  neighbors  returned  to  their  houses  in  the  fall  of  1776. 

Some  time  in  the  latter  months  of  1775  or  early  winter  of  1776, 
Mr.  Blake,  desiring  to  save  the  window  glass  which  was  in  his 
house  and  was  then  of  considerable  value,  sent  his  son  (the  writer's 
grandfather)  over  to  remove  it.  The  young  man  tied  his  horse  to 
a  tree  and  entered  the  house.  Finding  some  difficulty  in  removing 
the  sash,  he  stepped  aside  to  get  a  tool,  when  a  shot  fired  from  the 
Castle  crashed  through  the  window.  The  young  man,  quickly  de- 
ciding that  he  was  not  wanted  there,  jumped  upon  his  frightened 
horse  and  rode  to  his  home  in  Dorchester,  and  no  other  attempt 
was  made  to  remove  anything  from  the  homestead.  Several  cannon 
balls,  thrown  from  the  Fort  during  its  occupancy  by  the  British, 
have  been  found  at  the  Point,  especially  in  the  old  swamp  lands. 

An  account  of  the  raid  of  the  British  troops  and  the  burning  of 
this  house  on  the  13th  of  February,  1776,  is  given  elsewhere.  The 
house  was  almost  entirely  destroyed,  Mr.  Blake  and  his  family 
watching  the  conflagration  from  an  elevated  spot  in  Dorchester. 
The  following  petition  indicates  that  no  attempt  to  replace  it  was 
made  for  several  years  : 
A  petition  to  the  Coniicil 

May  it  i)]ease  your  ironors — 

Tlie  Petition  of  .Tames  Blake  Housewright  of  Boston  Shewetli  that  your 
Petitioner  luith  an  Estate  on  Dorchester  Neck  (so  called)  near  the  Heightlis 
on  which  is  Built  Rarracks  for  the  use  of  the  Anny  of  tlie  Tuited  States — 
that  he  your  l*etitioner  hegs  leave  to  Remove  on(^  of  s''  liarracks  a.  few 
Rods  from  the  Place  where  it  now  stands  over  the  (Viler  of  the  House  of 
your  Petitioner  which  was  liurnt  hy  the  Knemy,  and  that  lie  your  Pe- 
titioner may  have  the  benetit  of  improving  s"'  Barrack  a  short  time  as  a 
dwellinii  house. 


48 


Your  Honors  immediate  answer  will  greatly  oblige  your  Petitioner  as 
he  would  be  glad  to  take  the  advantage  of  the  present  Snow  to  remove  it 
on  if  your  Honors  should  see  meet  to  grant  it.* 

And  your  Petitioner  as  in  duty  Bound 

shall  ever  pray 

Bostoji  11  Feb^'  1780  James  Blake 

Endorsed  : 

Recomend  to  Col  Thos  Chase  D.  Q.  G.  to  permit  him  to  take  one  of  the 
Barracks  provided  the  Removal  of  said  Barrack  will  not  be  detrimental 
to  the  Interest  of  the  United  States.    (Mass.  Archives,  vol.  176,  page  191.) 

A  new  and  larger  house  was  built  before  1784  and  occupied  by 
Mr.  Blake  until  his  death  in  1803,  after  wdiich  other  members  of 
the  family  lived  there  and  carried  on  the  farm.  In  1835  Mr.  Samuel 
Blake  removed  the  building  from  the  old  spot,  and  it  or  a  portion 
of  it  is  now  standing  on  the  northwesterly  corner  of  P  Street  and 
Broadway.  The  new  house  erected  in  its  place  was  commodious 
and  attractive,  and  although  still  standing  (1899)  the  beauty  of  its 
surroundings  has  departed,  the  orchard  and  the  garden  being  now 
supplanted  by  dwelling  houses,  to  accommodate  the  rapidly  increas- 
ing population  of  that  section  of  the  city. 

The  property  remained  in  possession  of  the  Blake  family  until 
1866,  a  period  of  nearly  two  hundred  years.  The  house  on  Fourth 
Street  near  Q,  known  as  the  Bent  house,  was  erected  by  Mr.  Adam 
Bent  about  1810  and  stands  upon  a  portion  of  the  original  Blake 
estate. 

*  These  barracks  were  probably  on  the  bluffs  at  the  extreme  easterly  end,  where  a 
battery  had  been  erected.  There  was  also  a  fortification  here  during  the  war  of  1812- 
15,  the  remains  of  which  every  boy  in  South  Boston  forty  years  ago  was  familiar  with. 


Miscellaneous  Notes. 

The  Notes  on  the  following  pages  are  taken  from  my  collection 
of  items  relating  to  the  Neck,  and  cover  a  variety  of  subjects  of 
more  or  less  interest. 

They  indicate  some  of  the  material  which  is  available  for  a  history 
of  South  Boston,  if  such  a  publication  is  ever  considered. 


EOADS  ON  THE  NECK. 


The  following  list,  found  among  some  papers  in  possession  of  one 
of  the  Clapp  families  of  Dorchester,  was  probably  made  before  1650. 
The  Little  Nech  refers  to  what  has  of  late  years  been  known  as 
Washington  Village  and  some  of  the  territory  lying  southerly.  The 
creeks  on  both  sides  were  very  many  and  the  very  narrow  road  or 
causeway  was  often  overflowed  at  high  tide.  The  Great  Neclc  was 
the  main  peninsula  (South  Boston),  the  mouth  of  the  Nech  being 
near  the  present  junction  of  Ninth  and  Dorchester  Streets.  At  this 
point  was  a  fence  and  gate  to  prevent  cattle  straying  off  the  Neck. 

A  note  of  the  wayes     pathes  allowed     layd  out  in  the  grate  Sf  litell  nech 

ffirst  ft'rom  the  mouth  of  the  littell  neck  over  the  same  to  the  greate  neck 
&  so  to  the  castell  as  ffar  as  any  Land  is  in  the  neck,  ther  is  to  bee  a  way 
of  two  rods  broad. 

2  Vpon  the  East  side  of  the  littell  neck  away  to  Mr.  Jones  medow  by 
Mr.  Athertons  &  Mr  bvrs  a  way  of  a  rod  &  quarter  broad. 

3  Vpon  the  west  side  of  the  littell  neck  by  George  Weekes  ffenc  a  way 
of  a  rod  &  halfe  broad  to  Edmvnd  Mvninges  medow. 

4  at  the  movth  of  the  greate  neck  by  georg  dyers  william  Lane  &  Thomas 
Wizells  to  hopstill  ffosters  a  way  of  a  rod  &  quarter  broad. 

5  Allso  at  the  same  side  of  the  m-eat  neck  levino^e  the  lotts  of  Rodijer 

o  o  o 

clap  George  procter  &  Thomas  Swift  vpon  the  south  west  of  the  same,  a 
way  of  two  rods  broad  which  is  to  rune  so  far  as  mr  Jones  Lott. 

6  out  of  that  way  between  the  lott  of  george  procter  &  Thomas  Swift  a 
way  of  a  rod  &  quarter  broad  that  Leads  to  mr  athertons  &  other  medows. 

•  7  ffrom  out  of  a  highway  that  leads  to  the  castell  betwen  hopstill  Ifosters 
Lott  &  Augustin  Clements  &  som  part  of  Edmund  huUocks  a  way  of  a 
rod  &  halfe  broad  to  goe  down  to  the  beach  &  thens  to  the  meadows  on  that 
side  tlie  neck. 

8  on  the  east  side  of  the  neck  a  way  of  a  rod  &  quarter  broad  by  John 
Wizells  medow  so  ffar  as  mr  Jones  medow  Ifor  his  vse  to  goe  to  his  sayd 
medow. 

9  through  mr.  withingtons  lott  a  way  of  two  rods  broad  to  goe  to  the 
well  of  powow  point. 

10  out  of  that  way  that  goes  to  the  well  at  powow  ]K)int  westward  through 
})art  of  nu"  withingtons  Lott  &  nn*  Stoiightous  Lott  nn*  mather  is  to  have  a 
way  to  his  medow  of  a  rod      (piartcr  broad. 


51 


It  is  impossible  to  determine  the  location  of  some  of  these  ways 
and  paths,  as  no  early  plans  have  been  preserved  and  no  records 
exist  by  which  one  may  know  where  to  place  the  lots  referred  to. 
The  principal  roads,  however,  are  easily  described. 

1.  This  is  the  main  road,  generally  designated  as  the  "way  to 
the  Castle."  It  follows  practically  the  line  of  the  present  Dor- 
chester Street  to  Emerson  Street  (or  the  "old  road,"  as  it  was 
called  fifty  years  ago),  thence  in  to  Fourth  Street  and  on  to  the 
shore  opposite  Castle  William,  now  Fort  Independence.  A  glance 
at  the  plan  on  another  page  will  show  that  this  road  skirted  around 
the  hill  (at  the  present  corner  of  Dorchester  and  Third  Streets). 

2,  3.  These  were  narrow  cartpaths  off  from  the  main  road  for 
the  accommodation  of  owners  of  meadow  or  marsh  lands  on  Little 
Neck. 

4.  Known  as  the  "way  to  the  Nook"  or  "Nook  Lane,"  left  the 
main  road  near  the  present  Seventh  and  Dorchester  Streets  (the 
southwesterly  line  of  the  lane  is  the  northeasterly  boundary  of  the 
ShurtlefF  School  house  grounds),  running  northwesterly  towards 
Nook  Hill,  near  where  the  present  Lawrence  School  house  stands. 
The  road  accommodated  the  many  owners  of  small  lots  in  this  part 
of  the  Neck,  but  was  often  called  the  way  to  Mr.  Foster's  "  or 
"the  little  causeway  along  by  Mr.  Foster's,"  his  house  standing  near 
the  site  of  the  present  Grand  Army  hall  on  E  Street. 

5,  6.  Narrow  paths  between  lots,  probably  to  the  low  lands  on 
the  southerly  side.  There  are  a  number  of  references  to  the  "way 
to  the  marshes." 

7.  The  "way  to  goe  down  to  the  beach"  either  followed  the  line 
of  the  extreme  northeasterly  end  of  the  present  Dorchester  Street 
at  Third  Street  or  ran  in  a  more  northerly  direction  from  the  same 
point  to  the  harbor  and  perhaps  thence  westerly. 

8.  Not  determined. 

9.  The  "way  to  Powow  Point"  from  the  "  way  to  the  Castle." 
From  a  point  on  Emerson  Street  a  little  westerly  of  but  parallel 
with  K  Street  to  the  well  or  spring  Avliich  is  elsewhere  referred  to 
as  near  the  foot  of  K  Street. 

10.  This  narrow  path  ran  westerly  from  the  Powow  Point  road, 
perhaps  near  the  line  of  our  Seventh  Street,  and  there  are  some 
indications  that  there  was  a  path  in  continuation  of  this  around  the 
southerly  side  of  the  hill,  meeting  the  main  road  at  the  "  moutli  of 
the  Neck." 

Other  paths  or  roads  were  subsequently  laid  out,  but  the  way  to 
the  Castle^  the  way  to  the  JSfook  and  the  icay  to  Powow  Point 
were  the  principal  roads  for  more  than  one  hundred  years. 

*  Castle  William  was  built  about  1{)34.  The  nauie  of  I'^ort  ludepeudeucc  was  ^ivt'u 
to  it  iu  17^)7.  Sui)|)lit's  were  ol'tcu  trausportcd  throu^^b  I  )<ut1u's1  cr,  and  over  tbc  road 
aboNt'  rtd\  1  red  to,  and  t  lnuce  by  boat  Iroui  "  Dor(du'>t(  r  Point."  An  iliun  iu  I)or- 
clicster  iH'coi'ds  ^Im  s  au  idea  of  tbc  cbar^^cs  for  trau,>i)(irlal  ioii  :  ^  For  carryiug  C'ap- 
taync  l)avcu[)ort's  cmu-uc  to  t lie  furllier  end  of  tbe  iie(  l<  (id." 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  NECK. 


Hills. — The  two  hills,  known  in  late  years  as  Dorchester 
Heights^  were  in  early  days  designated  as  East  and  West  hills, 
the  easterly  one  called  also  Middle  hill. 

During  the  Revolutionary  war  period,  when  many  maps  were 
made  for  military  purposes,  a  variety  of  names  was  given  to  these 
hills.  The  Twin  hills,  Straivherr^y  hill,  Signal  Tree  hill,  and, 
erroneously  to  the  westerly  one,  Foster'^s  hill.  The  easterly  of  the 
two  has  entirely  disappeared  (1899),  and  those  persons  who  never 
saw  the  two  can  have  but  very  imperfect  conception  of  their  extent 
and  of  the  importance  of  holding  them  during  the  war. 

Bush  Tree  hill  corresponds  to  what  is  now  Independence  Square, 
but  its  dimensions  have  been  very  much  reduced. 

JV^ook  hill,  Fostei'^s  hill.  Fox  hill,  Dorchester  hill.  On  dif- 
ferent maps  these  names  appear  for  the  comparatively  small  hill 
which  was  where  the  Lawrence  School  house  stands.  This  hill 
is  often  referred  to  in  the  account  of  the  siege  and  evacuation  of 
Boston  by  British  troops.  It  was  entirely  removed  fifty  or  more 
years  ago. 

Leek  hill  was  very  near  the  water  side  at  the  northerly  end  of 
our  Dorchester  Street.  This  was  a  small  hill,  but  was  fortified 
during  the  Revolution.  The  origin  of  the  name  is  unknown,  unless 
it  be  that  Thomas  Lake,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Dorchester, 
once  owned  this  land  —  of  which  we  have  no  evidence. 

At  the  extreme  easterly  end  of  the  Point,  the  land  on  the 
northerly  side  was  much  higher  than  it  now  appears,  and  here, 
during  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  of  1812-15,  batteries  were 
erected.  In  the  boyhood  of  the  writer  this  spot  was  always  desig- 
nated as  the  Battery. 

Trees,  etc. — The  records  of  the  Colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
under  date  of  November  7,  1632,  show  the  following  interesting 
item:  "It  is  likewise  ordered  that  the  inhabitants  of  Boston  shall 
haue  liberty  to  fetch  wood  from  Dorchester  necke  of  land  for  20 
yeares,  the  ppriety  of  the  land  to  remaine  to  Dorchester." 

This  record  implies  a  greater  growtli  of  trees  on  the  peninsula 
than  has  generally  been  supposed,  but  no  other  similar  reference 
has  been  noted.    From  tlie  votes  of  the  town  of  Dorchester  in  re- 


53 


gard  to  the  land  on  the  Neck,  it  is  quite  evident  that  no  great 
amount  of  wood  was  cut  there  by  the  inhal)itant8  of  Boston. 

There  were  many  large  elm  trees,  some  buttonwood  and  poplar, 
and  each  farm  had  its  orchard  of  fruit-bearing  trees.  In  1775, 
there  was  wood  growing  on  the  Town's  pasture  (which  was  on  the 
southerly  side  adjoining  the  Blake  estate),  and  the  Town  voted  to 
sell  it. 

Various  kinds  of  berries  were  to  be  found  here.  The  writer  has 
heard  older  members  of  the  family  tell  of  crossing  from  Boston 
in  a  boat,  landing  on  the  Neck  (say  near  the  present  Broadway 
bridge),  and  walking  over  to  the  Point,  picking  berries  on  the  way. 
It  seems  but  a  few  years  since  barberries  were  growing  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Heights  and  in  the  open  fields  by  the  old  Nook 
lane. 

Ponds. — These  were  small,  but  numerous.  Among  them  was 
one  on  the  VViswell  estate,  near  our  Fourth  and  G  Streets,  which  has 
within  a  few  years  disappeared.  It  was  once  a  fine  skating  pond. 
Others  were  near  K  and  Fifth,  K  and  Third  Streets,  and  D  and 
Seventh  Streets. 

Swamps,  etc. — The  two  which  are  shown  on  the  plan  of  the 
Blake  estate,  on  a  previous  page,  are  the  only  ones  of  which  the 
writer  has  knowledge.  The  larger  of  the  two  (near  our  Broadway 
and  P  Street)  has  disappeared  within  a  few  years,  but  is  well  re- 
membered by  the  "old  boys  "  as  the  place  for  skating  and  for  getting 
hockey  sticks. 

There  were  many  small  pieces  of  marsh  land,  especially  on  the 
southerly  and  westerly  sides  of  the  Neck. 

Creeks  were  many  in  number,  especially  on  the  Little  Neck. 
Reference  has  been  made  to  the  two  on  the  Great  Neck  which,  in 
times  of  high  water,  made  an  island  of  the  westerly  portion.  One 
entered  on  the  southerly  side  and  one  on  the  easterly  side,  as  shown 
on  the  map  on  page  17.  Within  the  memory  of  many  this  locality, 
the  neighborhood  of  the  present  D  Street,  was  a  very  wet  place. 

There  are  salt  and  fresh  marshes  mentioned  in  deeds,  and  in  the 
western  part  was  a  dam,  from  which  comes  the  reference  to  a  damn- 
ed meadow. 

The  Slate  Quarry  has  been  referred  to  before  in  connection 
with  the  Foster  estate.  This  ledge  runs  across  the  peninsula  from 
south  to  north,  perhaps  first  showing  near  D  and  Fifth  Streets,  and 
crossing  under  Broadway  at  F  Street,  and  thence  to  thc^  shore. 

Powow  Point  (or  perhaps  more  properly  Powwow),  with  its 
spring  of  fresh  water,  at  the  foot  of  K  Street,  has  been  referred  to. 
Nothing  is  known  of  the  origin  of  the  name,  but  tradition  asserts 
that  this  was  a  meeting  place  or  a  feasting  place  for  Indians. 


DIVISION  AND  SUPERVISION  OF  NECK 

LANDS. 


The  passengers  on  the  ship  "  Mary  and  John,"  left  by  Capt. 
Squeb  so  unceremoniously,  at  Nantasket,  on  the  30th  of  May,  1630, 
very  speedily  decided  to  make  a  permanent  settlement  at  Matta- 
pan,  because  of  the  facilities  for  pasturage  of  their  cattle.  Blake's 
A.nnals  o  f  Dorchester  makes  the  definite  statement :  "  having  found 
out  a  neck  of  Land  J oyning  to  a  place  called  by  ye  Indians  Matta- 
pan  [now  Dorchester]  that  was  a  fit  place  to  turn  their  Cattle  upon 
so  they  settled  at  Mattapan  &  turnd  their  Cattle  upon  the  sd  neck." 

Unfortunately  the  records  of  the  town  for  two  years  after  the 
settlement  are  missing,  and  we  have  no  knowledge  of  the  town 
aiFairs  during  that  period ;  but  it  is  very  evident  that  assignments  of 
land  in  various  places  were  made  and  votes  in  reference  to  the  Neck 
lands  passed. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  for  several  years  the  Neck  was  used  solely 
for  pasturage,  and  the  only  expense  connected  therewith  was  for 
the  necessary  fences  or  ditches  to  prevent  the  cattle  from  straying 
off". 

As  early  as  the  year  1633  it  was  voted  : 

"  Whereas  their  hath  been  divers  chardges  and  expeiices  in  former  tymes 
layde  out  by  the  first  planters  for  securing  the  necke  of  land  and  keepeing 
the  Cowes  &  Goates  in  some  campes : 

It  is  ordered  that  every  man  for  future  tyme  that  ])ut  any  Cattle  in  the 
necke  be  of  what  condition  soever  shall  p^sently  pay  Two  sliillings  an  h(^:id 
towardes  the  sayde  chardges  as  also  every  cowe  into  the  heard  p'vidcd  this 
doth  not  extencl  to  any  that  hatli  formerly  payde  neither  to  any  that  shall 
pay  after  the  first  tyme." 

After  this,  the  regulations  made  concerning  the  occupancy  of  tlie 
Neck,  the  number  and  kinds  of  cattle  to  be  allowed  thereon,  and 
the  times  when  they  should  be  driven  on  or  off,  are  numerous.  And 
there  is  considerable  interest  in  reading  tliese  in  their  proper  order 
to  understand  th(^  diflej-ences  of  ojiinion  existing,  as  expressed  l)y 
the  votes,  and  the  ditHculties  continiially  arising  in  the  management 
of  affairs.  In  this  article,  howcxcr,  onl\  a  lew  of  thes(^  iten)s  can 
be  given. 


55 


A  reference  to  the  plan  on  page  1 7  will  enable  the  reader  to  see 
that  a  fence  of  any  description  built  across  the  ''^Nlouth  of  the  Xeck," 
which  was  not  nearly  so  broad  as  it  now  appears,  would  make  the 
Neck  a  secure  ground  for  pasturage,  as  the  cattle  were  practically 
shut  in.  A  similar  fence  was  also  maintained  at  what  was  called 
the  "Mouth  of  the  Little  Neck,"  which  served  the  same  purpose. 

Whatever  were  the  first  methods  of  orantinof  lands  in  the  Neck 
and  elsewhere  to  the  inhabitants,  there  certainly  was  a  division  or 
assignment  made  in  1636-7.  The  town  voted  that  all  the  "land 
of  the  great  necke  which  is  not  allredy  allotted  out  shall  be  deuided 
into  p'priety  to  each  hoame  lott  according  to  p'portion  agreed  vpon," 
etc.,  and  under  date  of  March  18,  1637,  is  a  record  of  "The  pro- 
portion which  each  man  is  to  haue  in  the  necke  according  to  the  rule 
agreed  on  for  deuideing  the  same."  There  are  also  other  votes  more 
clearly  defininjx  the  manner  of  allotment.  Then  follows  a  list  of 
104  names  with  the  number  of  acres  assigned  to  each,  amounting  in 
all  to  about  501  acres. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  locate  these  grants,  and  in  some  cases 
it  has  been  done,  but  it  is  impossible  to  accomplish  much  in  this 
direction.  The  majority  of  sales  and  transfers  were  not  recorded, 
and  when  they  Avere,  the  descriptions  are  too  indefinite  to  be  of  ser- 
vice. One  may  despair  of  attempting  to  definitely  locate  individual 
lots  when  he  finds  such  a  record  as  this  :  "John  Hoskeines  senior 
to  have  4  acres  of  medow  in  the  necke  where  the  dogg  was  killed." 
In  this  case  we  have  no  intimation  of  where  this  creature  lost  his 
life,  neither  have  we  any  record  of  Mr.  Hoskeines'  disposal  of  the 
four  acres.  In  the  later  years  of  that  century,  however,  many  of 
the  estates  can  be  traced  with  some  degree  of  accuracy. 

For  some  unexplained  reason  a  revision  of  the  grants  of  1637 
appears  to  have  been  made  in  1642,  when  it  was  agreed  "7^'^  of  the  4"^ 
1642  that  in  laying  out  of  the  necke  of  land  they  are  to  begine  at  the 
north  side  of  the  necke  and  lay  that  out  First :  namely  of  the  north 
side  of  the  way  (as)  it  is  laide  out  *  *  *  *  if  ^ny  land  be  lefte  it 
may  ly  at  the  firthest  poynt  toward  the  Castle,"  etc.,  and  each  lot 
was  to  have  an  equal  proportion  in  the  Little  Neck.  This  list  con- 
tains only  about  sixty-two  names.  Some  of  the  Jots  appear  as  in 
the  grant  of  1637,  and  some  of  the  larger  lots  the  writer  can  trace 
through  recorded  transfers,  showing  that  some  former  owners  sold 
out  their  rights.  This  record,  which  has  this  caption:  "^1  note  of 
the  lots  of  the  necke  of  hind,'"  has  the  appearance  of  being  a 
revised  list  of  tlie  owners  hi  1642  rather  than  a  new  assignment  as 
sometimes  considered. 

About  the  time  of  the  first  assignment,  1637,  a  division  of  senti- 
ment appeared  as  to  whether  the  Xeck  should  be  used  for  pasturage 
or  for  planting,  and  in  May  of  that  year  it  was  "thought  meete  and 
agreed  "  that 

"  If  some  slinll  dcsin*  to  plant  and  otlicis  to  k('«'|K'  ( "afllo  I'hc  Minor  pt'e 


56 


shall  fence  agaynst  the  Major,  that  is  if  the  Minor  p'te  will  imp've  their 
p'priey  to  Corne  or  the  like,  and  the  Major  p'te  to  Cattle,  the  Minor  shall 
then  fence  agaynst  the  Major  at  his  own  p'ill,  and  so  the  like  if  the  Miner 
will  keepe  Cattle  and  the  Major  plant  they  must  secure  the  Majors  Corne 
and  be  lya[ble]  to  pay  dammage  if  they  doe  not,  Provided  that  the  Count 
be  according  to  the  most  voyses  and  not  according  to  the  greatest  number 
of  acres.  For  p^venting  of  ouer  burthening  the  same  land  it  is  mutually 
agreed  that  after  October  next  six  score  Cowes  shall  be  Counted  the  full 
stock  for  the  whole  necke  being  in  Count  480  acres  and  so  each  man  to 
haue  commons  according  to  his  Number  of  acres  and  no  man  to  exceed, 
other  Cattle  being  alowed  as  foUowith,  fine  goates  to  one  cow,  male  and 
female  Counted  alike,  and  goates  of  a  yeere  old  all  vnder  that  age:  10 
kids  to  one  Cow ;  2  yeerlings  to  one  Cow ;  3  Two  yeerelings  2  Cowes, 
one  workeing  oxe  to  a  Cow,  one  Mare  and  a  Colt  to  Two  Cowes,  4  Calues 
for  one  Cow  ;  a  yeereling  Colt  for  a  Cow,  and  a  Two  yearling  so  likewise 
untill  3  yeere  old.  This  order  to  Continue  vntill  it  be  altered  by  the  major 
p'te  of  voyces." 

This  democratic  method  of  deciding  the  problem  was  not  con- 
tinued long,  for  it  w^as  one  day  voted  that  theij  shall  haue  soe 
many  Voates  as  they  haue  lottes." 

The  question  of  planting'  vs.  pasturage  seems  to  have  been  one 
of  perennial  agitation  at  the  town  meetings.  In  1642,  there  were 
"  sixty  five  voates  for  planteinge  and  Twenty  eaight  voates  for 
Feadinge,"  but  the  action  of  the  town  or  proprietors  of  lots  at 
various  times  is  somewhat  confusins;  in  relation  to  this  matter.  The 
question  of  fencing  and  orders  about  cattle,  however,  kept  full  pace 
with  the  other  and  occupied  much  of  the  time  of  the  government. 

The  following  vote  is  worth  reading  in  this  connection,  as  it  in- 
dicates clearly  the  rural  character  of  the  settlement  and  the  method 
of  transactino;  business.  After  declarino;  that  no  cows  were  at  that 
time  to  be  put  away  at  the  Neck,  it  was  ordered  : 

"  That  all  that  hue  Northwards  from  the  meeting  house  shall  [drive]  their 
Cows  into  the  open  place  befo^  the  meeteing  house  within  an  hower  of 
[sunne]  rising  and  their  the  keepers  to  be  ready  to  driue  them  away  and  so 
to  blow  their  horne  along  the  Towne  and  whosoever  bring  not  their  cowes 
before  M'"  Stoughtons  house*  within  an  hower  of  sunnerising,  the  keepers 
shall  stay  no  longer  [but]  drive  away  those  which  are  ready  to  the  Pasture 
and  those  which  through  their  [owne]  neglect  haue  their  Cows  behind  shall 
not  make  that  any  Barre  of  payment  to  the  keepers." 

No  swine  were  allowed  a  pasturage  here  at  any  time.  Penalties 
were  provided  for  those  who  put  more  cattle  in  this  conunon  pasture 
tlian  was  their  "stent"  and  also  for  those  who  })iit  tliem  in  before 
the  appointed  time,  which  generally  was  about  tlie  middle  of  April 
of  each  year. 

And  each  one  was  obliged  to  giue  a  note  of  how  many  of  each 
sort  hec  puts  in,"  and  the  holder  of  tlie  notes  had  instructions  to 
''give  publicke  notice  v[)on  some  Lecture  Daye  that  all  that  iiaue  any 

*  Mr.  St()<i;i:litoirs  Ikmisc  wms  at  tl\e  foot  of  Joiics't;  hill,  near  the  ]>roseut.  corner  of 
IMcasant  Street  ami  Sa\in  Hill  .\\eiMU'. 


57 


Cattell  horses  or  mares  there  maie  come  at  such  a  tyme  as  be  ap- 
pointed them  to  Driue  the  necke  and  also  to  claim  their  own  Cattell." 

The  selectmen  had  to  deal  with  some  who  were  overreaching  and 
inclined  to  trespass  upon  the  property  and  rights  of  others,  especially 
in  the  matter  of  pasturage  of  cattle.  "  Complaynts  being  made 
to  vs  of  vniust  practises  of  Divers  in  this  Towne  who  distroy  mens 
Corne  and  Grasse  by  puting  in  or  at  lest  suffering  there  Cattell  to 
feed  one  other  mens  Corne  and  meadow,"  and  this  led  to  new  and 
stringent  regulations  for  the  prevention  of  trespass. 

The  way  to  the  Neck  and  the  way  through  the  Neck  often  required 
repairs,  and  the  gates  and  fences  appear  to  have  given  much  trouble. 

In  1667,  a  tax  of  a  half  penny  per  acre  was  assessed,  amounting 
to  £1.  1.  2.,  but  the  charges  for  repairs  on  the  "gate  and  hinges" 
was  £1.  2.  0.  ! 

The  management  of  all  these  details  was  eventually  left  with  the 
proprietors  of  the  lots  who  met  as  occasion  demanded.  In  1718 
it  was  voted  that  the  Neck  should  no  longer  be  held  as  a  "  Couimon 
or  Generall  Field,"  but  thereafter  owners  of  lots  would  be  oblio^ed 
to  maintain  fences  for  their  own  protection. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Deacon  Blake  was  allowed  to  erect  and 
maintain  the  "Gate  across  the  way  by  his  Orchard,  preventing  a 
great  charge  for  fencing,"  and  this  is  shown  on  the  plan  on  page 
47.  A  gate  was  maintained  there  as  late  as  1810,  and  probably 
for  some  years  after  that  date. 


TAX  LISTS,  ESTATES  AT  THE  NECK. 


Extract  from  list  of  Rateable  Estates,  1749. 
This  list  gives  the  number  of  polls,  houses,  acres  of  land,  &c.,  but  no 
valuations.     As  near  as  can  be  determined  there  were  but  seven  dwelling 
houses  on  the  Neck  at  that  date,  which  corresponds  with  previous  state- 
ments. 

James  Blake  1  Oliver  Wis  well,  (Jr.)  1 

James  Foster  2*  "  "       heirs  1 

Benjamin  Bird  1  Richard  Withington  heirs  1 


Extract  from  Valuation  List,  1768. 


James  Blake 

i 

house. 

Annual  worth,  £o. 

0. 

0 

Samuel  Blake,  Jr. 

i 

a 

3. 

0. 

0 

Hopestill  Withington 

1 

a 

1. 

12. 

0 

James  Foster 

1 

a 

4. 

10. 

0 

Hopestill  Foster  of  Boston 

1 

2. 

8. 

0 

Jonathan  Bird 

1 

a 

2. 

12. 

0 

Jonathan  Bird,  Jr. 

1 

a 

5. 

0. 

0 

Enoch  Wiswell 

1 

i( 

1. 

12. 

0 

Oliver  Wiswell 

1 

a 

4. 

10. 

0 

The  above  are  all  the  names  which  appear  to  have  been  taxed  for  dwelling 
houses  at  the  Neck  in  the  year  named.  In  1776  there  were  eleven  dwell- 
ings there. 

Extract  from  U.  S.  Direct  Tax  List,  1798. 


James  Blake  &  Jr.f 

1  house 

$210 

Land 

$1922. 

A.  Gould 

1 

500 

2242.50 

E.  Mann 

1 

250 

a 

1075.25 

Jonathan  Bird  3^^ 

1 

a 

275 

1667.50 

Jonathan  Bird 

1 

u 

200 

John  Wiswell 

1 

a 

550 

a 

2334.50 

John  Williams 

1 

a 

250 

a 

310.50 

John  Farrington 

I 

Owned  by  John  Tileston. 

Moses  Marshall 

1 

a 

350 

II.  Newman. 

Aaron  Spear 

1 

120 

Francis  DeluceJ 

1 

65 

Land 

$86.25 

John  Deluce 

1 

65 

u 

103.50 

This  list  cannot  be  relied  upon  as  giving  names  of  all  householders  in 
1798.  There  may  have  been  others,  but  these  are  the  only  ones  which  can 
be  identified  by  the  writer.  At  the  date  of  annexation  to  Boston,  1804, 
there  were  only  twelve  families  living  tluu'c,  and  nineteen  persons  who  j)aid 
a  poll  tax. 

*  One  of  these  w;is  on  the  .Tones  estate. 

t  Tlionias  Leeds  also  lived  in  this  ho\ise. 

t  Mr.  Deliicc  bouL^ht  of  James  \y  ilhinii  ton.  Jr..  in  1787. 


FOKTIFICATION^S  OlST  THE  NECK. 


Immediately  after  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the  British  troops, 
measures  were  taken  to  erect  fortifications  on  the  several  hills  at 
the  Neck,  and  in  less  than  two  months  tliey  were  ready  for  defence. 
The  folio vvino;  items  are  sufficient  to  show  the  2,'eneral  character  of 
these  fortifications  and  also  to  very  clearly  indicate  that  but  little 
attention  was  given  to  keeping  them  in  repair.  The  reason  for  the 
neglect  was  twofold  —  the  scarcity  of  money,  men  and  cannon,  and 
the  fact  that  the  seat  of  war  had  been  removed  to  a  distance  and 
there  was  less  fear  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy.  The  following 
items  are  taken  from  the  State  A.rchives  and  from  Force's  jLrchives, 
where  many  other  others  of  similar  import  may  be  found. 

May  13,  1776.  Col.  Richard  Gridley  reported  "  Dorchester  Point  Forts 
are  now  in  a  posture  of  defence  with  platforms  laid  and  cannon  mounted 
on  them. " 

July,  177G.  Gen.  Lincoln  stated  that  "700  men  had  been  assigned  as 
absolutely  necessary  to  complete  the  garrison  there." 

Aug.  6,  1776.  Col.  Dike  was  directed  to  order  "  certain  Companies  to 
Dorchester  Heiijhts  to  be  formed  into  Reiiiments." 

Sept.  30,  1776.  Gen.  Ward  complained  of  removal  of  cannon  from 
Dorchester  Heights. 

Nov.  1776.  Chief  Engineer  Gridley  gives  a  record  of  hnnber,  spikes, 
&c.,  furnished  for  No.  1  Fort  at  DorcJwster  Point,  IVo.  2  Fort  Dorchester 
Second  hill,  No.  S  Fort  at  Dorchester  Southernmost  hill. 

Dec.  1776.  William  Dawes  reported  that  there  were  "ouly  6  or  8  men 
to  take  care  of  3  forts  "  at  Dorchester  Neck,  and  another  report  states 
"  not  a  man  at  Dorchester  Heights."    "  Some  of  the  neighbors  had  returned." 

May  9,  1777.  Gen.  Heath  iu  a  letter  to  the  Council  refers  to  necessity 
of  strengthening  the  garrison  "  for  the  security  of  the  Works  or  Stores 
on  Dorchester  Heights  as  the  Stores  there  belonging  to  the  Continent  are 
Valuable,"  and  a  detachment  of  soldiers  was  ordered  to  he  sent  there. 
And  in  .July  following  the  General  recommends  that  "a  small  circular  work 
be  immediately  thrown  up  on  a  Hill  between  the  Fort  on  Dorchester 
point  and  the  Easternmost  Hill  witli  ut  which  the  Fort  at  the  point  will 
not  be  Tenable." 

flan.  31,  1777.  Committee  oii  Fortilications  rej)orie(l.  At  Dorchester 
Poiut  is  a  W'cll  finished  Fort,  of  the  Star-kind,  with  13  Embrasures;  a 
Guard-House  within,  &  Barracks  enough  neai-  at  hand,  on  the  outside. 

At  Dorciiester-Heights  are  two  smad  Forts,  with  1  1  l^nd)rasures  in  one 
of  'em  (&  \)  in  the  other:  These  want  one  oi'  two  lvr\clins.  And  at  a 
Hill  l)(;tw(;cu  the  Heights      |)()!nt,  tlici-c  ought  to  be  a  Kcdoubt  cVic.  There 


60 


are  Barracks  enough  for  all.    A  small  Battery  is  already  at  Fox-Hill : 
&  another  ought  to  be  between  that  &  the  Fort  at  the  Point." 
"The  Committee  recommend. 

For  Dorchester  Point      3 — 32,  36  &  42  Pounders  )  150  men  for  action. 

10—18  "        j    10    '•    at  other  times. 

"    Heights  &  Hill         28—6  "        ^300    "    for  action. 

6—  2,  3  &  4         "        J   30    "    at  otlier  times. 
"    Battery  6— 24,  &  28  "        1 100    "    for  action. 

/  10    "    at  other  times." 

1777.  (Somewhat  later  than  above.)  A  Committee  report  on  state  of 
fortifications  at  Dorchester  Neck' as  follows: 

"  1^*  An  old  Breast  w^ork  on  a  place  called  Fox  Hill  in  Mdiich  were  two 
Embrasures  &  no  Cannon.  the  Committee  were  of  Opinion  that  there 
ought  to  be  three — this  work  much  out  of  Repair. 

2fiiy  A  Fort  called  No.  3  on  the  Heights  they  found  6  pieces  Cannon. 
One  cohorn  not  very  fit  for  action — No  ammunition  but  a  few  Continental 
soldiers. 

gdiy  Port  No.  2.  0  Cannon  from  9  to  11  p''  &  no  stores.  At  the 
East  End  a  small  Breast  work  which  would  annoy  the  Enemy  in  approach- 
ing, the  Committee  were  of  opinion  that  a  Breast  work  opposite  this  Fort 
on  the  Main  Land  might  be  of  service  to  prevent  the  Enemy  from  Landing- 
near  the  Town  of  Dorchester. 

^thy  'Xhe  Committee  viewed  a  place  on  a  small  Hill  laid  out  for  a  Fort 
in  a  Circular  Form  60  Feet  Diameter  which  might  be  of  some  small  ad- 
vantage if  we  were  able  to  complete  &  man  it. 

5twy  ^i^Q  Committee  went  to  the  Fort  at  Dorchester  Point  &  were 
informed  that  there  were  in  it  8  Cannon — but  judged  it  improper  to  enter 
it  as  the  Centinel  informed  them  he  had  Orders  to  prevent  any  Person 
to  enter  &  the  Committee  were  not  furnished  with  a  proper  Pass." 

Oct.  lo,  1780.  Capt.  Lemuel  Clap  was  then  commanding  at  Dorchester 
Heights,  and  was  ordered  to  reduce  the  detachment  to  1  sergeant  and  1) 
matrosses.  Ephraim  Mann,  John  Wis  well  and  Joseph  Withington  a])pe:ir 
as  serving  at  this  time.  All  of  these  men  were  residents  there  at  this 
time  or  subsequently. 

During  the  war  with  Great  Britain  1812-15,  fortifications  were 
erected  on  the  Heights  and  at  the  extreme  eastern  point.  On  the 
following  page  is  a  representation  of  two  forts  one  on  the  easterly 
Hill,  sometimes  called  JBird  Hill,  and  the  other  on  the  westerly, 
in  later  years  called  TelegrcqiJt  Hill. 


MAPS  AXD  PLAISTS  OF  THE  JS^ECK. 


The  writer  has  copies  of  fifteen  or  twenty  maps  or  plans  of  the 
ISTeck,  made  before  the  year  1800.  Those  of  earliest  date  are  very 
crude.  One  of  them  indicates  but  one  dwelling  house  there,  and 
another  shows  two,  Foster's  and  Blake's. 

But  nearly  all  of  these  maps  were  originally  made  for  military 
purposes  previous  to  or  during  the  Revolution.  Some,  like  that 
reproduced  here,  are  quite  accurate  in  delineation  of  the  roads,  the 
hills  and  the  dwellings,  but  others  are  imperfect,  and  a  few  were 
evidently  drawn  with  very  unreliable  sources  of  information. 

The  latter  are  interesting  for  examination,  if  not  valuable  for 
historical  purposes. 

There  are  also  a  few  early  views  of  Dorchester  Neck,  some  of 
which  are  reproduced  in  Starlc's  jLntiqiie  T^iewb-  of  Boston  . 

The  writer  has  for  many  years  desired  to  make  a  relief  map  of 
the  Neck,  showing  the  hills,  the  valleys,  the  roads,  with  other  topo- 
graphical features,  believing  that  by  means  of  such  a  map  an  ade- 
quate comprehension  of  the  conditions  existing  at  tlie  time  of  the 
siege  of  Boston  might  be  obtained,  and  the  value  of  the  fortifications 
on  the  various  hills  be  clearly  shown. 

As  the  whole  territory  is  now  covered  with  dwellings  it  is  ex- 
tremely diffi(;ult  for  the  majority  of  persons  to  imagine  its  appear- 
ance in  1775. 

This  relief  map  may  appear  later. 


lij 

'  j 


BOUND  TO   PLEASE  ] 

1 ^^^s^^-